upward lightning

noun

An upper-atmospheric optical phenomenon associated with thunderstorms, in which the lightning bolt projects straight into the upper atmosphere.

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Meanings

nounupward lightning (countable and uncountable, plural upward lightnings)

plural upward lightnings

  1. countableuncountableastronomyAn upper-atmospheric optical phenomenon associated with thunderstorms, in which the lightning bolt projects straight into the upper atmosphere.

    Mysterious bluejets can be seen with the naked eye from the ground, but they are rare and difficult to spot.

    1999, Patricia Barnes-Svarney, Thomas E. Svarney, Skies of fury: weather weirdness around the world, Simon and Schuster, page 100
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: upward lightning on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.