noun
rainbow
RAYN-boh
noun
1
An arc of spectrum colours that appears in the sky when sunlight passes through raindrops.
"A rainbow arched over the valley after the storm passed."
2
A wide, varied mix of different things or people.
"The festival brought together a rainbow of cultures and cuisines."
adj
1
Relating to or symbolising the LGBT community.
"The parade was awash with rainbow flags."
How to Use Rainbow
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe multicoloured arc you see in the sky after rain — also used to describe a colourful variety of things, or as a symbol of LGBT pride.
Common pairings
rainbow flag
chase rainbows
a rainbow of colours
Word Forms
rainbowed past tense, rainbows plural, Rainbows plural, Rainbows plural, rainbows singular
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Etymology
From Old English reġnboga, literally "rain" plus "bow" (as in an arch) — a very old, straightforward compound shared across the Germanic languages.