What does "rainbow" mean?

1. (arch in the sky) a colourful arch that appears in the sky when the sun shines through rain. 2. (a wide variety) a large and varied group of different things or people. 3. (multicoloured) having many different colours, especially in the order of a rainbow. 4. (multicultural) made up of people from many different races or backgrounds. 5. (to make colourful) to make something look bright or colourful like a rainbow. 6. (poker hand) in card games like poker, a set of cards where every card is a different suit.

rainbow

n. · adj. · v.

US //ˈɹeɪnˌboʊ// UK //ɹˈeɪnbəʊ// rain·bow

1 arch in the sky (n.)
A1 Beginner Science

a colourful arch that appears in the sky when the sun shines through rain.

a multicoloured arc produced by the prismatic refraction and reflection of light within water droplets in the atmosphere.

Example

The children ran outside to see the beautiful rainbow after the storm passed.

Example

A double rainbow appeared over the valley, its secondary arc showing the colours in reverse order due to the double reflection of light within the raindrops.
- arc
- spectrum
2 a wide variety (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a large and varied group of different things or people.

a diverse assortment or varied multitude of items, ideas, or people.

Example

The shop sells a rainbow of different fabrics for sewing projects.

Example

The festival offered a rainbow of cultural experiences, ranging from traditional folk dances to modern electronic music performances.

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3 multicoloured (adj.)
A2 Elementary

having many different colours, especially in the order of a rainbow.

displaying a wide range of colours; often used to describe items that use the LGBT pride flag colours.

Example

She wore a bright rainbow scarf that matched her cheerful personality.

Example

The city was decorated with rainbow banners to celebrate the annual pride parade and support the local community.
- multicoloured
- vibrant
- monochrome
- plain
4 multicultural (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate American English

made up of people from many different races or backgrounds.

composed of several different races, ethnicities, or cultural factions; often used in political contexts.

Example

The politician spoke about his vision for a rainbow coalition of voters.

Example

The university prides itself on its rainbow student body, which represents over fifty different countries and hundreds of unique cultural traditions.
- diverse
- multicultural
- homogeneous
5 to make colourful (v.)
C2 Proficiency Literary

to make something look bright or colourful like a rainbow.

to pattern or brighten a surface with the colours of the spectrum.

Example

The setting sun began to rainbow the clouds with pink and gold.

Example

The oil spill on the wet pavement started to rainbow the surface, creating a shimmering but toxic film of iridescent colours.
- brighten
- decorate
6 poker hand (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Slang

in card games like poker, a set of cards where every card is a different suit.

in Texas hold 'em or Omaha, a flop or hand consisting entirely of different suits, making a 'flush' impossible.

Example

The flop was a rainbow, so I knew nobody had a flush yet.

Example

With a rainbow flop of uncoordinated cards, the players were forced to rely on high pairs rather than chasing potential flushes.

Origin

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”).

Idioms3 entries