Saint Elmo's fire

noun

Saint El·mo's fire ˈsānt-ˈel-(ˌ)mōz-

variants or St. Elmo's fire or less commonly Saint Elmo's light or St. Elmo's light

: a flaming phenomenon sometimes seen in stormy weather at prominent points on an airplane or ship and on land that is of the nature of a brush discharge of electricity

Word History

Etymology

St. Elmo (Erasmus) †303 Italian bishop & patron saint of sailors

First Known Use

1753, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Saint Elmo's fire was in 1753

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Saint Elmo's fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Saint%20Elmo%27s%20fire. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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