plural elves
ˈelvz 
: a form of electrical discharge that is emitted upward from the top of a cumulonimbus cloud during a thunderstorm and that usually appears as a very short-lived reddish circle of light
"Elves" appear as rapidly expanding doughnuts of light that vanish in less than a millisecond. They most likely result when an electromagnetic pulse from an energetic cloud-to-ground lightning strike propagates into the ionosphere. While elves may accompany sprites, the mechanisms that create the two differ.—
Stephen James O'Meara, Astronomy, June 2010
Stephen James O'Meara, Astronomy, June 2010Dictionary Entries Near elve
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“Elve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elve. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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