anthelion

ant·he·li·on

 (ănt-hē′lē-ən, ăn-thē′-)

n. pl. ant·he·li·a (-lē-ə) or ant·he·li·ons

A luminous, white, diffuse spot occasionally seen in the sky opposite the sun on the parhelic circle.

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[Greek anthēlion, from neuter of anthēlios, opposite the sun : anti-, anti- + hēlios, sun; see sāwel- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

anthelion

(æntˈhiːlɪən; ænˈθiː-)

n, pl -lia (-lɪə)

1. (Physical Geography) a faint halo sometimes seen in polar or high altitude regions around the shadow of an object cast onto a thick cloud bank or fog

2. (Physical Geography) a white spot occasionally appearing on the parhelic circle at the same height as and opposite to the sun

[C17: from Late Greek, from anthēlios opposite the sun, from ante- + hēlios sun]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

anthelion

A luminous area like a halo sometimes seen in the sky opposite the sun.

Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited