halo

¹

[hey-loh]

noun

plural

halos, haloes 

1. Also called nimbus. a geometric shape, usually in the form of a disk, circle, ring, or rayed structure, traditionally representing a radiant light around or above the head of a divine or sacred personage, an ancient or medieval monarch, etc.

2. an atmosphere or quality of glory, majesty, sanctity, or the like.

   The "profession" of a medieval lord cast a halo around him and made him a ruler of men.

3. Meteorology.,  any of a variety of bright circles or arcs centered on the sun or moon, caused by the refraction or reflection of light by ice crystals suspended in the earth's atmosphere and exhibiting prismatic coloration ranging from red inside to blue outside (corona ).

4. Astronomy.,  a spherical cloud of gas clusters and stars that form part of a spiral galaxy.

5. any of various other things resembling a halo, especially a lighter or differently colored area surrounding an object.

   I think the scab was from some kind of bite, and now there's a halo around it with bruising.

6. Also called Cellini's halo. Heiligenschein.

7. an undesirable bright or dark ring surrounding an image on the fluorescent screen of a television tube, due to some fault either in transmission or reception.

verb (used with object)

haloed, haloing 

1. to surround with a halo.

verb (used without object)

haloed, haloing 

1. to form a halo.

halo-

²

1. a combining form meaning “salt,” used in the formation of compound words (halophyte ); sometimes specialized as a combining form of halogen (halothane ).

halo

¹

/ ˈheɪləʊ /

noun

1. a disc or ring of light around the head of an angel, saint, etc, as in painting or sculpture

2. the aura surrounding an idealized, famous, or admired person, thing, or event

3. a circle of light around the sun or moon, caused by the refraction of light by particles of ice

4. astronomy a spherical cloud of stars surrounding the Galaxy and other spiral galaxies

verb

1. to surround with or form a halo

halo-

²

combining form

1. indicating salt or the sea

   halophyte

2. relating to or containing a halogen

   halothane

halo

1. A hazy ring of colored light in the sky around the Sun, Moon, or a similar bright object. A halo is caused by the reflection and refraction of light through atmospheric ice crystals.

Other Word Forms

• halo-like adjective
• unhaloed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of halo¹

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin, accusative of halōs “circle around the sun or moon,” from Greek hálōs “threshing floor; grain on a threshing floor; shield; halo”

Origin of halo²

< Greek, combining form of háls salt

Word History and Origins

Origin of halo¹

C16: from Medieval Latin, from Latin halōs circular threshing floor, from Greek

Origin of halo²

from Greek hals, hal- sea, salt

Example Sentences

Whatever costs—in time, money and potentially even personal liberty—these legal actions bring may be more than offset by the halo of martyrdom conferred on the defendant.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Stretching several thousand kilometers across, it forms as sunlight warms the comet, releasing gas and dust that collect into a hazy halo around the core.

Read more on Science Daily

Dr Amati worries that "people are being hoodwinked into thinking 'high protein' on a label necessarily means that it is healthy. Honestly, it's another health halo."

Read more on BBC

Another of Kirk posing with angel wings and halo.

Read more on Salon

If a person were looking for a reason to root for Charlie Sheen again, as so many will, they might appreciate his admission of shame, a rare halo in this time of shamelessness.

Read more on Salon