A halo is a circle of light that is shown in pictures round the head of a holy figure such as a saint or angel.
2. countable noun
A halo is a circle of light round a person or thing, or something that looks like a circle of light.
The sun had a faint halo round it.
She angrily slung a scarf around her head, flattening her halo of hair.
[Also + of]
Synonyms: ring of light, aura, corona, radiance More Synonyms of halo
halo in British English
(ˈheɪləʊ)
nounWord forms: plural-loes or -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
verbWord forms: -loes, -los, -loing or -loed
5.
to surround with or form a halo
Derived forms
halo-like (ˈhalo-ˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Medieval Latin, from Latin halōs circular threshing floor, from Greek
halo- in British English
or hali- or before a vowel hal-
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
halo in American English
(ˈheɪloʊ)
nounWord forms: pluralˈhalos or ˈhaloes
1.
a.
a ring of light that seems to encircle the sun, moon, or other luminous body: it results from the refraction of light through ice crystals in our atmosphere
b.
a spherical distribution of stars and star clusters extending beyond the main body of certain galaxies, as the Milky Way
2.
a symbolic disk or ring of light shown around or above the head of a saint, etc., as in pictures;nimbus: often used as a symbol of virtue or innocence
3.
the splendor or glory with which a famed, revered, or idealized person or thing is invested
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈhaloed or ˈhaloing
4.
to encircle with a halo
Word origin
L halos (gen. & acc. halo) < Gr halōs, circular threshing floor, round disk of the sun or moon, hence halo around the sunor moon < halein, to grind < IE base *al-, to grind > Arm ałam, grind, Hindi āṭā, meal
halo- in American English
(ˈhæloʊ; ˈhælə)
1.
of the sea
halobiont
2.
having to do with a salt
halophyte
3.
having to do with a halogen
haloid
Word origin
< Gr hals (gen. halos), salt, hence sea
Examples of 'halo' in a sentence
halo
That golden halo crashed down a year ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
One explanation for these sightings is the rare atmospheric phenomenon of a halo and a sun pillar.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We push the boundaries and produce halo cars.
The Sun (2016)
He looks like an alien mop: skinny with a halo of frizzy hair.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The F-Type roadster and convertible are both great halo cars but they remain relatively small niche sellers.
The Sun (2014)
I walked as it were in a mere halo of light and all beyond was thick darkness.
Eric Newby A BOOK OF LANDS AND PEOPLES (2003)
But she has such a charm about her, one forgets what she herself is in the halo that surrounds her.
Elizabeth Gaskell Wives and Daughters (1864)
With her halo of white hair, classic features and clothes, she had a distinguished presence.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
From a distance his hair is a halo of blond, his body lithe, his bottom high and round.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Hair gradually goes see-through -- the sort of hair that appears as a fine fuzzy halo when a light shines on it.
Colette Harris, With Theresa Cheung PCOS DIET BOOK: How you can use the nutritional approach to deal with polycysticovary syndrome (2002)
It finished with a picture of me with a halo above my head and I'm quite proud of that.
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
halo
British English: halo NOUN
A halo is a circle of light that is shown in pictures round the head of a holy figure such as a saint or angel.
American English: halo
Brazilian Portuguese: auréola
Chinese: 光环
European Spanish: halo
French: auréole
German: Heiligenschein
Italian: aureola
Japanese: 後光
Korean: 후광
European Portuguese: auréola
Latin American Spanish: halo
Chinese translation of 'halo'
halo
(ˈheɪləu)
n(c)
[of saint, angel]光轮(輪) (guānglún) (个(個), gè)
(around object, planet) 晕(暈) (yùn) (个(個), gè)
(noun)
Definition
a circle of refracted light around the sun or moon