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rainbow

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rainbow¹

  • /ˈɹeɪnboʊ/ US
  • /ˈɹeɪmboʊ/ US
  • /ˈɹeɪnbəʊ/ British, UK, Southern
  • [ˈɹɛɪmbəʊ] British, UK, Southern

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English reynbowe, from Old English reġnboga, from Proto-West Germanic *regnabogō, from Proto-Germanic *regnabugô, from *regną (“rain”) + *bugô (“bow”). By surface analysis, rain + bow (“arch”). Cognate with West Frisian reinbôge (“rainbow”), Dutch regenboog (“rainbow”), German Regenbogen (“rainbow”), Danish regnbue (“rainbow”), Swedish regnbåge (“rainbow”), Icelandic regnbogi (“rainbow”).

noun rainbows

  1. A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air. Why are there so many songs about rainbows And what's on the other side? Rainbows are visions, but only illusions And rainbows have nothing to hide.

    Similar: iris

  2. Any prismatic refraction of light showing a spectrum of colours.

    Similar: spectrum

  3. often, used with “of” A wide assortment; a varied multitude. a rainbow of possibilities
  4. figuratively An illusion; a mirage. Many electoral promises are rainbows, vanishing soon after poll day.
  5. A curveball, particularly a slow one.
  6. A trick in which the player makes the ball arc over the opponent's head using both feet; rainbow kick
  7. slang In Texas hold 'em or Omaha hold 'em, a flop that contains three different suits.
  8. Rainbow trout. Finally, by actual trial, I have found that I can catch more rainbow by using one fly than with a two or three-fly cast.
  9. derogatory, figuratively, sometimes A person within the LGBT community. Oh look, the rainbow came back.

adjective

  1. not comparable Multicolored, especially if in rainbow order.

    Similar: motley

  2. US, attributive, not comparable Made up of several races or ethnicities, or (more broadly) of several cultural or ideological factions. That Asian-American actor Thomas Ikeda contributes a pleasingly frantic Panthino would not be considered rainbow enough.

    Similar: multiethnic, multiracial, rainbowed, multipartisan

  3. attributive, derogatory, not comparable, sometimes LGBT. Similarly, the question of who belongs in such a rainbow alliance isn't set. It can include gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals. It can include people who are 'questioning' which culture they belong to [...]
  4. not comparable, of a flop Composed entirely of different suits.
  5. not comparable Of or pertaining to rainbow tables. rainbow attack

Similar: multihued, polychromatic

verb rainbows · rainbowing · rainbowed

  1. transitive To brighten with, or as with, a rainbow; to pattern with the colours of the rainbow.
  2. intransitive To take the appearance of a rainbow. We saw birds and butterflies rainbowing in the sun; lazy lizards crawling in the heat; inguanas blinking on stone wall, with mouth wide open for flies; poisonous snakes, not only carved on walls, but gliding through the grass.
  3. In climbing gyms where the rocks to climb are colored to indicate suggested climbing routes, to climb rocks of different colors, thereby ignoring such routes. “She's going to learn to belay while I'm climbing? What if I fall?” “You're not going to fall while rainbowing a 5.8, and besides, she'll catch you.” “I could die.” “That would be tragic,” I said. Kaitlyn crossed her arms.

Rainbow²

Where it comes from

From rainbow.

noun Rainbows

  1. A member of the Rainbow Guides, a Girl Guide movement for younger girls.

Rainbow³

proper noun

  1. A census-designated place in San Diego County, California, United States.
  2. A town in the Shire of Hindmarsh and the Shire of Yarriambiack, western Victoria, Australia.

Rainbow⁴

Where it comes from

Two main origins:

* From an altered form of the Old French personal name Rainbaut, which is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements *raginą (“advice, counsel”) and *balþaz (“strong, bold”).

* Translation of German Regenbogen, a Jewish Ashkenazi ornamental surname.

proper noun Rainbows

  1. A surname.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: arc, window, indigo, fry, cra, the, iris, steelhead, trout, arc-en-ciel, rayed, spectrum, band, prism, prismatic, bow

adjective

Similar: multihued, polychromatic

Translations

Every language

noun multicoloured arch in the sky

Españolarco iris, arcoíris, arco del cielo, arco célico/celestial/celeste, arco de san Martín
한국어무지개 mujigae, 홍 hong, 홍예 hong'ye
日本語虹 niji, 虹霓 kōgei
中文彩虹 cǎihóng, 隮 /𬯀 jī, 虹 hóng, 虹霓 hóngní
हिन्दीइंद्रधनुष indradhnuṣ, इन्द्रधनुष indradhnuṣ, धनुष dhanuṣ, रामधनुष rāmadhnuṣ, मेघधनु meghadhnu, इंद्रचाप indracāp
Kiswahiliupinde wa mvua
Portuguêsarco-íris, arco-da-velha, arco da aliança
Françaisarc-en-ciel
DeutschRegenbogen, Ragaboga, Räjeböje
Italianoarcobaleno, iride
Ελληνικάουράνιο τόξο ouránio tóxo, δόξα dóxa, ίριδα írida
Românăcurcubeu
Русскийра́дуга ráduga, весёлка vesjólka
Tiếng Việtcầu vồng, lẹm
العربيةقَوْس قُزَح qaws quzaḥ
עבריתקֶשֶׁת בְּעָנָן késhet be'anán

noun prismatic reflection

Românăspectru

noun assortment, varied multitude — see also range, gamut, assortment, variety

Españolabanico
日本語色々 iroiro
Românăvarietate, multitudine

adj multicoloured

Españolmulticolor, policromático, irisado
日本語多彩 tasai, 多色 tashoku
Portuguêsmulticor, multicolor
Deutschbunt, vielfarbig
Românămulticolor, policrom

verb To pattern with many colours, like a rainbow.

Françaispolychromer
العربيةقَزَّحَ qazzaḥa

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"rainbow." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rainbow. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

rainbow. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rainbow

Chicago

"rainbow." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rainbow.

BibTeX
@misc{rainbow_2026,
  title = {rainbow},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rainbow},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}