Heiligenschein

[ hahy-li-guhn-shahyn ]

noun

, German.

, plural Hei·li·gen·schei·ne [hahy, -li-g, uh, n-shahy-n, uh].

1. (on wet grass and when the sun is low) a bright ring around the shadow cast by a person's head, caused by reflection and diffraction of light rays.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Heiligenschein¹

First recorded in 1910–15; from German: literally, “halo, gloriole,” equivalent to Heiligen- “saint's” + Schein “shine, light, brilliance”