parhelion

[ pahr-hee-lee-uhn, -heel-yuhn ]

noun,plural par·he·li·a [pahr-hee-lee-uh, -heel-yuh]. /pɑrˈhi li ə, -ˈhil yə/. Meteorology.
  1. a bright circular spot on a solar halo; a mock sun: usually one of two or more such spots seen on opposite sides of the sun, and often accompanied by additional luminous arcs and bands.: Compare paraselene.

Origin of parhelion

1
First recorded in 1640–50; alteration of Latin parēlion, from Greek parḗlion, noun use of neuter of parḗlios “beside the sun”; see par-, helio-

Other words from parhelion

  • par·he·lic, par·he·li·a·cal [pahr-hi-lahy-uh-kuhl], /ˌpɑr hɪˈlaɪ ə kəl/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use parhelion in a sentence

  • Parhelia are generally accompanied with coronas, some of which are tinged with rainbow colours, but others are white.

  • Parhelia, or mock suns, frequently shone in different quarters of the firmament.

    Notable Voyagers | W.H.G. Kingston and Henry Frith
  • And how her eyes sparkled as she said these words, like the parhelia in the glowing girdle of a solar halo!

  • There are, however, coron sometimes seen without parhelia, and vice vers.

    Cicero's Tusculan Disputations | Marcus Tullius Cicero
  • The parhelia are formed by the reflection of the sunbeams on a cloud properly situated.

    Cicero's Tusculan Disputations | Marcus Tullius Cicero

British Dictionary definitions for parhelion

parhelion

/ (pɑːˈhiːlɪən) /


nounplural -lia (-lɪə)
  1. one of several bright spots on the parhelic circle or solar halo, caused by the diffraction of light by ice crystals in the atmosphere, esp around sunset: Also called: mock sun, sundog Compare anthelion

Origin of parhelion

1
C17: via Latin from Greek parēlion, from para- 1 (beside) + hēlios sun

Derived forms of parhelion

  • parhelic (pɑːˈhiːlɪk, -ˈhɛlɪk) or parheliacal (ˌpɑːhɪˈlaɪəkəl), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for parhelion

parhelion

[ pär-hēlē-ən ]


Plural parhelia
  1. A white spot appearing at times in the parhelic circle. White parhelia are believed to form from light that is reflected off of atmospheric ice crystals; colored parhelia are believed to form from light that is refracted by atmospheric ice crystals. Multiple parhelia can often be seen simultaneously. Compare anthelion.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.