Dictionary entry
saint elmo's light
noun
圣艾尔摩之火；电晕放电
an electrical discharge accompanied by ionization of surrounding atmosphere
- 1.
an electrical discharge accompanied by ionization of surrounding atmosphere
In use
During the thunderstorm, the sailors watched Saint Elmo's light flicker at the top of the mast.
Pilots sometimes see Saint Elmo's light on the aircraft windshield when flying through a charged cloud.
The hiker saw a strange blue glow, but it was only Saint Elmo's light around the metal fence.
see [phenomenon]
Sailors often see Saint Elmo's light during thunderstorms.
水手们在雷暴期间经常看到圣埃尔莫之光。
[phenomenon] appears
描述现象发生或出现时常用此结构。
Saint Elmo's light appears as a bright glow at the tips of masts.
圣埃尔莫之光在桅杆顶端呈现为明亮的辉光。
known as [phenomenon]
This electrical discharge is known as Saint Elmo's light.
这种放电现象被称为圣埃尔莫之光。
Common mistakes
I saw Saint Elmos light last night.I saw Saint Elmo's light last night.
错误：遗漏了所有格符号（'）。Saint Elmo's light 是一个固定短语，所有格符号表示“圣埃尔莫的”，不能省略。
I saw a Saint Elmo's light during the storm.I saw Saint Elmo's light during the storm.
错误：误加不定冠词 a。Saint Elmo's light 被视为一种现象或自然光，通常不可数，因此不需要冠词。
Connections
Confusing words
- ball lightning
- 球状闪电 · 圣埃尔莫之光是一种电晕放电，出现在尖锐物体尖端，而球状闪电是独立悬浮的发光球体，常伴随雷暴，两者成因不同。
Learner notes
Grammar Note
常作单数
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WORDNET.