red sprite

English

Noun

red sprite (plural red sprites)

1. (astronomy, meteorology) An upper atmospheric optical phenomena associated with thunderstorms, a large but weak luminous flash that appears directly above an active thunderstorm system and is coincident with a powerful positive cloud-to-ground lightning strike.
   • 1999, Patricia Barnes-Svarney, Thomas E. Svarney, Skies of fury: weather weirdness around the world‎, Simon and Schuster, page 99:

     Red sprites flash high above thunderstorm clouds.

See also

• blue starter
• blue jet
• elve
• gigantic jet
• gnome
• pixie
• sprite halo
• sprelve
• sprite
• transient luminous event
• troll
• upward lightning

Anagrams

• destriper, restriped