Saint Elmo's fire
Mast-tip glow
Saint Elmo's fire is a weather phenomenon in which a luminous electrical discharge appears on pointed objects during thunderstorms—ship masts, aircraft wings, steeples, even cattle horns.
The ghostly blue or violet glow results from ionized air and poses no danger, though sailors historically took it as an omen.
Named for the patron saint of sailors.
- portentsOminous indicators of future events
- lightningAtmospheric electrical discharge
- spritesTiny supernatural beings
- ionizationCharge acquisition process
- divine protectionDeity's guardianship over believers
stormy seas · electrostatics · storm warnings · static electricity · electrical discharge · electric field · thunderstorm · electron flow · conductivity · blue flame · electromagnetic radiation · cathode rays · plasma · fluid dynamics · glowing · mast · celestial navigation · electrodynamics
Saint Elmo's firecombustion
Exothermic reaction with oxygen
wildfire · conflagration · inferno · flames · burning
Saint Elmo's firedeath omen
Sign predicting someone's passing
ill omen · corpse candle · Davy Jones' locker · curse · will-o'-the-wisp
Saint Elmo's firelightning strike
Atmospheric electrical discharge
thunderbolt · lightning bolt · forked lightning · ball lightning · electrical storm
saint, saints, saintly, sainthood, sainted, saintliness, fire, fires, fired