spray bow

plural spray bows · alternative spraybow

1. climatologyA rainbow formed from water spray, especially that which emanates from a waterfall.

   I sometimes amuse myself by making spray bows with a plant spray.

   2002, John Naylor, Out of the Blue: A 24-Hour Skywatcher's Guide, page 106

   3 more examples

   M. Kohl gives us some graphic descriptions, especially of the scene behind the Horse-shoe Fall, and of a lunar spray-bow on the American, for which we must refer to his book.

   1861 January, anonymous author, The Westminster Review, Canada, page 34

   Now that level place, or bench-table went up to the very gushing and green bow of the water, so Ralph took Ursula's hand and led her along, she going a little after him, till he was close to the Well, and stood amidst the spray-bow thereof, so that he looked verily like one of the painted angels on the choir wall of St. Laurence of Upmeads.

   1896, William Morris, The Well at the World's End: A Tale, Volume 2, page 94

   It would need a long essay in optics, I imagine, to explain why the spray-bow was very blue and the cloud-bow quite without this colour ; for rainbows differ more in their attributes than most observers recognise.

   1935, Sir William Beach Thomas, Village England, page 95