What does "rainbow" mean?
A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.
Rainbow
/ˈɹeɪnboʊ/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A multicoloured arch in the sky, produced by prismatic refraction of light within droplets of rain in the air.
- Grammar: rainbow is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: spectrum, alcohol, amobarbital sodium, amytal.
- Useful contrasts: colorless, monochrome, monolithic.
- Usage evidence: A beautiful rainbow is spanning the sky.
How to use "rainbow"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "rainbow" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "rainbow" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "rainbow" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "rainbow" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "rainbow" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "spectrum" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "rainbow", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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."
- 2 A member of the Rainbow Guides, a Girl Guide movement for younger girls.
- 3 an illusory hope wordnet
- 4 Any prismatic refraction of light showing a spectrum of colours.
- 5 an arc of colored light in the sky caused by refraction of the sun's rays by rain wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 A wide assortment; a varied multitude. often
"a rainbow of possibilities"
- 7 An illusion; a mirage. figuratively
"Many electoral promises are rainbows, vanishing soon after poll day."
- 8 A curveball, particularly a slow one.
- 9 A trick in which the player makes the ball arc over the opponent's head using both feet; rainbow kick
- 10 In Texas hold 'em or Omaha hold 'em, a flop that contains three different suits. slang
- 11 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."
- 12 A person within the LGBT community. derogatory, figuratively, sometimes
"Oh look, the rainbow came back."
Verb
- 1 To brighten with, or as with, a rainbow; to pattern with the colours of the rainbow. transitive
- 2 To take the appearance of a rainbow. intransitive
"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."
Adjective
- 1 Multicolored, especially if in rainbow order. not-comparable
- 2 Made up of several races or ethnicities, or (more broadly) of several cultural or ideological factions. US, attributive, not-comparable
"That Asian-American actor Thomas Ikeda contributes a pleasingly frantic Panthino would not be considered rainbow enough."
- 3 LGBT. attributive, not-comparable
"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 Composed entirely of different suits. not-comparable
- 5 Of or pertaining to rainbow tables. not-comparable
"rainbow attack"
Proper Noun
- 1 A census-designated place in San Diego County, California, United States.
- 2 A surname.
- 3 A town in the Shire of Hindmarsh and the Shire of Yarriambiack, western Victoria, Australia.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"A beautiful rainbow is spanning the sky."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "rainbow"?
Common synonyms include: spectrum, alcohol, amobarbital sodium, amytal, amytal pill, analgesic.
How do you use "rainbow" in a sentence?
A beautiful rainbow is spanning the sky.
How do you pronounce "rainbow"?
Pronounced /ˈɹeɪnboʊ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English reynbowe, raynbowe, from Old English reġnboga (“rainbow”), from Proto-West Germanic *regnabogō, from Proto-Germanic *regnabugô (“rainbow”), equivalent to rain + bow (“arch”). Cognate with West Frisian reinbôge (“rainbow”), Dutch regenboog (“rainbow”), German Regenbogen (“rainbow”), Danish regnbue (“rainbow”), Swedish regnbåge (“rainbow”), Icelandic regnbogi (“rainbow”).
Etymology 2
From rainbow.
Etymology 3
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.