halo

1 of 3

noun

ha·​lo ˈhā-(ˌ)lō 

plural halos or haloes

1

: a circle of light appearing to surround the sun or moon and resulting from refraction or reflection of light by ice particles in the atmosphere

2

: something resembling a halo: such as

a

: nimbus

b

: a region of space surrounding a galaxy that is sparsely populated with luminous objects (such as globular clusters) but is believed to contain a great deal of dark matter

c

: a differentiated zone surrounding a central zone or object

d

or halo brace : an orthopedic device used to immobilize the head and neck (as to treat fracture of neck vertebrae) that consists of a metal band placed around the head and fastened to the skull usually with metal pins and that is attached by extensions to an inflexible vest

3

: the aura of glory, veneration, or sentiment surrounding an idealized person or thing

halo

2 of 3

verb

haloed; haloing; haloes

transitive verb

: to form into or surround with a halo

rainbows haloed the waterfalls

—Michael Crawford

halo-

3 of 3

combining form

see hal-

Synonyms

Noun

• air
• ambience
• ambiance
• aroma
• atmosphere
• aura
• climate
• flavor
• karma
• mood
• nimbus
• note
• odor
• patina
• smell
• temper
• vibration(s)

Examples of halo in a Sentence

Noun

the halo of unimpeachable honesty in which the politician had long basked

a naturalistic depiction of Saint Peter that shows him as a humble fisherman and without the traditional halo

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ballmer included big, show-stopping attractions, too, led by a halo scoreboard with the equivalent of an acre’s worth of LED lighting. —Andrew Greif, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024

Some clear glass halos and discs hang in space, suspended on filament. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2024

Verb

White dreads halo his dark, handsome face. —Kathleen Ann Goonan, Discover Magazine, 10 Oct. 2012

The larger ones are steeply mountainous, volcanic, rising to almost 6,000 feet, their summits haloed in clouds. —Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 May 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin halos, from Greek halōs threshing floor, disk, halo

First Known Use

Noun

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1801, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing halo

• halo effect

Kids Definition

halo

noun

ha·​lo

ˈhā-lō

plural halos or haloes

1

: a circle of light around the sun or moon caused by the presence of tiny ice crystals in the air

2

a

: nimbus sense 1

b

: nimbus sense 2

3

: the atmosphere of glory or sentiment surrounding a person or thing considered perfect

Medical Definition

halo

noun

ha·​lo ˈhā-(ˌ)lō 

plural halos or haloes

1

: a circle of light appearing to surround a luminous body

especially : one seen as the result of the presence of glaucoma

2

: a differentiated zone surrounding a central object

the halo around a boil

3

: the aura of glory, veneration, or sentiment surrounding an idealized person or thing

4

: an orthopedic device used to immobilize the head and neck (as to treat fracture of neck vertebrae) that consists of a metal band placed around the head and fastened to the skull usually with metal pins and that is attached by extensions to an inflexible vest

called also halo brace