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.
(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.
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Also called Cellini's halo, halo .
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
heighten, heightism, height of land, height-to-paper, Heilbronn, Heiligenschein, Heilongjiang, Heiltsuk, Heimdall, Heimlich maneuver, Heimlich manoeuvre
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023