rose-colored light on high mountains before dawn or after dusk, 1871, translating German Alpenglühen; see Alp + glow (v.).
Entries linking to alpenglow
alp n.
"high, snow-capped mountain," especially in Switzerland, 1590s, from Alps, from French Alpes, from Latin Alpes "the Alps," which is perhaps from altus "high," or albus "white" or from a Celtic word (according to Maurus Servius Honoratus the grammarian), or a borrowing from a non-Indo-European language. Alps, the central European mountain range, is attested by that name in English from late 14c.
glow v.
Old English glowan "to glow, shine as if red-hot," from Proto-Germanic *glo- (source also of Old Saxon gloian, Old Frisian gled "glow, blaze," Old Norse gloa, Old High German gluoen, German glühen "to glow, glitter, shine"), from PIE root *ghel- (2) "to shine," with derivatives referring to bright materials and gold. Figuratively from late 14c. Related: Glowed; glowing. Swedish dialectal and Danish glo also have the extended sense "stare, gaze upon," which is found in Middle English.