bead lightning

noun

1. lightning in which the intensity appears to vary along the path and which thus resembles a string of beads.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bead lightning¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

It has many similarities, and it's clearly not similar to better known phenomena such as St Elmo's fire or bead lightning, which are well known and understood in nature.

From BBC

Ball lightning is used almost generically to describe phenomena seen in nature that aren't described by normal lightning, bead lightning or things like 'St Elmo's fire', or aurora.

From BBC