aureole

American  

[awr-ee-ohl] / ˈɔr iˌoʊl /

Also aureola

noun

aureoles plural

1. a radiance surrounding the head or the whole figure in the representation of a sacred personage.

2. any encircling ring of light or color; halo.

3. Astronomy. corona.

4. Geology. a zone of altered country rock around an igneous intrusion.

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aureole British  

/ ˈɔːrɪˌəʊl, ɔːˈriːələ /

noun

1. (esp in paintings of Christian saints and the deity) a border of light or radiance enveloping the head or sometimes the whole of a figure represented as holy

2. a less common word for halo

3. another name for corona

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• aureoles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aureole

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Latin aureola (corona) “golden (crown),” equivalent to aure(us) “golden” ( see aureate) + -ola, feminine of -olus noun suffix ( see -ole ¹)

Explanation

In art, the circle of light painted or drawn around the heads of religious figures to indicate their divine nature is called an aureole. It comes from the Latin word aureus, which means golden, and aureoles are often created in golden hues. The meaning of the noun aureole has extended to mean anything that resembles the sort of artistic circle of light that surrounds something. The term is frequently used when describing hair. If you have light-colored hair, in the sunlight, it may look like your head is surrounded by a shimmering aureole. The luminous circle around the sun visible during a solar eclipse is also called an aureole.

Example Sentences

This childishly wily Mary is a very damp match for Catherine McCormack’s pitiless Elizabeth and her aureole of fabulous, if anachronistic, hair.

From New York Times • Sep. 14, 2018

Dark wood stain applied in the center of three interlocking aureole forms gives one floor-sculpture the appearance of a giant bouquet of Van Gogh’s sunflowers — a symbol of happiness now bloated and earthbound.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2018

That will allow the heat to extend farther into the country rock, creating a larger aureole.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

“I love you, Papa,” she said, her smile an aureole of smeared toothpaste and happiness.

From Nature • Mar. 12, 2014

The words of a favorite poetess of his seemed saying themselves over in his brain: "And, if any painter drew her, He would take her, unaware, With an aureole round the hair."

From The Tree of Knowledge A Novel by Reynolds, Mrs. Baillie