halo

[hey-loh] /ˈheɪ loʊ/
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 halo around Shakespeare's works; She put a halo around her son.
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 (distinguished from corona).
4.
Astronomy. a spherical cloud of gas clusters and stars that form part of a spiral galaxy.
5.
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.
6.
to surround with a halo.
verb (used without object), haloed, haloing.
7.
to form a halo.
Origin
1555-65; < Latin, accusative of halōs circle round sun or moon < Greek hálōs such a circle, disk, orig. threshing floor
Related forms
unhaloed, adjective

halo-

1.
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
< Greek, combining form of háls salt
Examples from the web for halo
  • The full moon is sometimes surrounded by a ring or halo of light.
  • Her body was fringed in a halo of light on the dim stage.
  • Mark was waiting for me in the parking lot under the halo of light next to my car.
  • We make artificial rainbows, halo's, and circles about light.
  • The morning light shines through, giving them a halo that indicates a faint presence in the absence of a sitter.
  • He casts a blinding white light, his face hidden behind a halo.
  • Abstract painting is surrounded by a halo of uncertainty.
  • The senator is shown in a sort of monk outfit, and he has a hand halo as well as the normal head halo.
  • As the shine comes off his halo the real work of governing will grow harder.
  • The ash drifted around the globe, causing spectacular sunsets and halo effects around the moon and sun.
British Dictionary definitions for halo

halo

/ˈheɪləʊ/
noun (pl) -loes, -los
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 -loes, -los, -loing, -loed
5.
to surround with or form a halo
Derived Forms
halo-like, adjective
Word Origin
C16: from Medieval Latin, from Latin halōs circular threshing floor, from Greek

halo-

combining form
1.
indicating salt or the sea: halophyte
2.
relating to or containing a halogen: halothane
Word Origin
from Greek hals,hal- sea, salt
Word Origin and History for halo
n.

1560s, from Latin halo (nominative halos), from Greek halos "disk of the sun or moon, ring of light around the sun or moon" (also "threshing floor" and "disk of a shield"), of unknown origin. Sense of "light around the head of a holy person or deity" first recorded 1640s. As a verb from 1801.

halo-

before vowels hal-, word-forming element meaning "salt, sea," from Greek hals (genitive halos) "a lump of salt, salt generally," in Homer, "the sea," from PIE *sal- "salt" (see salt (n.)).

halo in Medicine

halo ha·lo (hā'lō)
n. pl. ha·los or ha·loes

  1. A reddish yellow ring surrounding the optic disk, caused by an expansion of the scleral ring that makes the deeper structures visible.

  2. Glaucomatous halo.

  3. A ring of light surrounding a luminous body.

halo- or hal-
pref.

  1. Salt: halophilic.

  2. Halogen: halide.

halo in Science
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.