Meanings
plural moonbows
- climatologyA rainbow formed by moonlight diffracted by water droplets in the air, usually fainter than a daytime rainbow and with fewer distinguishable colours.
Often rainbows by night or moonbows span the lake.
1896, James Wells, Travel-pictures from Palestine, page 942 more examples
Among the rarer optical effects associated with the moon are also moonbows or lunar rainbows.
2010, Bernd Brunner, Moon: A Brief History, unnumbered pageWhen the sun shines over Kentucky's Cumberland Falls, the mist creates a rainbow on most days. If the moon shines brightly enough, it can create a moonbow, too!
2011, Colleen Ryckert Cook, Kentucky: Past and Present, page 9Synonyms: lunar rainbow, white rainbow
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA rainbow formed by moonlight diffracted by water droplets in the air, usually fainter than a daytime rainbow and with fewer distinguishable colours.
Origin
From moon + bow, by analogy with rainbow.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque ilargi ostadar
- ilargi ostadarMeteorological phenomenon
Bulgarian лунна дъга
- лунна дъга (lunna dăga)Meteorological phenomenon
Chinese Mandarin 月虹
- 月虹 (yuèhóng)Meteorological phenomenon
Esperanto luna ĉielarko
- luna ĉielarkoMeteorological phenomenon
Estonian kuuvikerkaar, kuukaar
- kuuvikerkaarMeteorological phenomenon
- kuukaarMeteorological phenomenon
Finnish kuusateenkaari
- kuusateenkaariMeteorological phenomenon
French arc-en-ciel lunaire
- arc-en-ciel lunaireMeteorological phenomenon
German Mondregenbogen
- MondregenbogenMeteorological phenomenon
Italian arcobaleno lunare
- arcobaleno lunareMeteorological phenomenon
Japanese 月虹
- 月虹 (gekkō)Meteorological phenomenon
Korean 달무지개
- 달무지개 (dalmujigae)Meteorological phenomenon
Māori Hinekōrako
- HinekōrakoMeteorological phenomenon
Norwegian Bokmål månebue, regnbue av måneskinn
- månebueMeteorological phenomenon
- regnbue av måneskinnMeteorological phenomenon
Polish tęcza księżycowa
- tęcza księżycowaMeteorological phenomenon
Russian лу́нная ра́дуга
- лу́нная ра́дуга (lúnnaja ráduga)Meteorological phenomenon
Spanish arco lunar, arcoíris lunar
- arco lunarMeteorological phenomenon
- arcoíris lunarMeteorological phenomenon
Swedish månregnbåge
- månregnbågeMeteorological phenomenon
Ukrainian місячна веселка
- місячна веселка (misjačna veselka)Meteorological phenomenon
Cite this entry
moonbow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moonbow
“moonbow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moonbow. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “moonbow,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moonbow.
Source: moonbow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.