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rain·bow

(rānbō′)

a. An arc of spectral colors, usually identified as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, that appears in the sky opposite the sun as a result of the refractive dispersion of sunlight in drops of rain or mist.

b. A similar arc or band, as one produced by a prism or by iridescence.

c. A graded display of colors.

2. An illusory hope: chasing the rainbow of overnight success.

3. A diverse assortment or collection.

[Middle English, from Old English rēnboga : rēn, rain + boga, bow; see BOW³.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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