Heiligenschein
[ hahy-li-guhn-shahyn ]
/ ˈhaɪ lɪ gənˌʃaɪn /
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noun, plural Hei·li·gen·schei·ne [hahy-li-guhn-shahy-nuh]. /ˈhaɪ lɪ gənˌʃaɪ nə/. German.
a ring of light around the shadow cast by a person's head, especially on a dewy, sunlit lawn, caused by reflection and diffraction of light rays; halo.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!
Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Origin of Heiligenschein
First recorded in 1910–15; from German: literally, “halo, gloriole,” equivalent to Heiligen- “saint's” + Schein “shine, light, brilliance”
Words nearby Heiligenschein
heightism, height of contour, height of land, height-to-paper, Heilbronn, Heiligenschein, Heilongjiang, Heiltsuk, Heimdall, Heimlich, Heimlich maneuver
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021