halo

[ hey-loh ]

/ ˈheɪ loʊ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: halo / haloed / haloing on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ha·los, ha·loes.

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.

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.

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 (distinguished from corona).

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

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.

Also called Cellini's halo . Heiligenschein.

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), ha·loed, ha·lo·ing.

to surround with a halo.

verb (used without object), ha·loed, ha·lo·ing.

to form a halo.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of halo

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”

OTHER WORDS FROM halo

un·ha·loed, adjective

Other definitions for halo (2 of 2)

halo-

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

Also especially before a vowel, hal-.

Origin of halo-

<Greek, combining form of háls salt

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use halo in a sentence

“You gotta play ‘Halo’ for your angel-fish,” she instructs.
How Aidy Bryant Stealthily Became Your Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star|Kevin Fallon|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For Microsoft in 2014, this meant showing the new Call of Duty, a Halo collection, and other entries in established franchises.
Video Games Go Wild for Reboots|Alec Kubas-Meyer|July 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maybe someday, the ARC4 system could even turn your walk to work into a game of Halo.
Augmented Reality System Goes From Military to Market|Rose Eveleth|May 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Functionally, the end product makes walking around look a lot like playing a first-person shooter game like Halo.
Augmented Reality System Goes From Military to Market|Rose Eveleth|May 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The star is the cream itself, as opulent as crème fraiche, with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, etc., serving as a sort of halo.
The Secret to This Ice Cream: Pampered Cows|Jane & Michael Stern|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The sun was on Evelyn Clifford's hair, burnishing it to a halo of gold under the white hat.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
With the halo of this action still surrounding him, in March, 1796, he first came into direct connection with Bonaparte.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
For one deathless moment his genius had carried him to the heights, and a white blaze of publicity had given him a halo of glory.
The Man from Time|Frank Belknap Long
Her flower in one hand and the umbrella making a bright halo round her, she looks like a little idol from overseas.
Child Life In Town And Country|Anatole France
The revolution of 1688 dissipated the halo which had shed a fictitious light round the throne.
The English Church in the Eighteenth Century|Charles J. Abbey and John H. Overton

British Dictionary definitions for halo (1 of 2)

halo

/ (ˈheɪləʊ) /

noun plural -loes or -los

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

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

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

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

verb -loes, -los, -loing or -loed

to surround with or form a halo

Derived forms of halo

halo-like, adjective

Word Origin for halo

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

British Dictionary definitions for halo (2 of 2)

halo-

hali- or before a vowel hal-

combining form

indicating salt or the seahalophyte

relating to or containing a halogenhalothane

Word Origin for halo-

from Greek hals, hal- sea, salt

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for halo

halo

[ hā′lō ]

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.

halo

Origin of halo

OTHER WORDS FROM halo

Other definitions for halo (2 of 2)

Origin of halo-

Words related to halo

How to use halo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for halo (1 of 2)

Derived forms of halo

Word Origin for halo

British Dictionary definitions for halo (2 of 2)

hali- or before a vowel hal-

Word Origin for halo-

Scientific definitions for halo