moon dog

noun

A bright, circular spot, sometimes seen on a lunar halo, caused by refraction through ice crystals.

Similar
paraselenemock moon
Opposite
parhelionsun dogmock sun
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Meanings

nounmoon dog (plural moon dogs)

plural moon dogs

  1. climatologyA bright, circular spot, sometimes seen on a lunar halo, caused by refraction through ice crystals.

    Synonyms: paraselene, mock moon

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA bright, circular spot, sometimes seen on a lunar halo, caused by refraction through ice crystals.

Similar
paraselenemock moon
Opposite
parhelionsun dogmock sun
Also see
paraselene

Origin

From moon + dog; metaphorically refers to the bright spots of light that appear to "dog" or follow the real moon, much like a dog follows its owner.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

moon dog. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moon%20dog

MLA

“moon dog.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moon%20dog. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “moon dog,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moon%20dog.

Source: moon dog on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.