English Explanatory Dictionary

halo

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A circular band of coloured light, visible around the sun or moon etc., caused by reflection and refraction of light by ice crystals in the atmosphere.
  2. A cloud of gas and other matter surrounding and captured by the gravitational field of a large diffuse astronomical object, such as a galaxy or cluster of galaxies.
  3. Anything resembling this band, such as an effect caused by imperfect developing of photographs.
  4. nimbus, a luminous disc, often of gold, around or over the heads of saints, etc., in religious paintings.
  5. The metaphorical aura of glory, veneration or sentiment which surrounds an idealized entity.
  6. The bias caused by the halo effect.
  7. a circular annulus ring, frequently luminous, often golden, floating above the head
  8. A circular brace used to keep the head and neck in position.
  9. A roll bar placed in front of the driver, used to protect the cockpit of an open cockpit racecar.
  10. Ellipsis of halo headlight.
verb
  1. To encircle with a halo.
noun
  1. Acronym of high altitude, low opening (“a type of skydiving where one leaves the launch platform from a high altitude and opens the parachute at a very low altitude”).
  2. Acronym of hazardous area life-support organization.
  3. Acronym of high altitude, low orbiting.
  4. Acronym of heavy assets, low obsolescence (“AI-resistant stocks”).
noun
  1. A member of the Angels Major League Baseball team.
  2. Alternative letter-case form of HALO.

Pronunciation

/ˈheɪləʊ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-halo.wav hāʹlō /ˈheɪloʊ/

Word forms

halo halos haloes haloing haloed

Etymology

From Latin halōs, from Ancient Greek ἅλως (hálōs, “threshing floor; disk; disk of the sun or moon; ring of light around the sun or moon”), of unknown origin. The threshing floor's circular threshold or oxen walking on it in a circle gave rise to the other meanings. Used in English since 1563; the sense of light around someone’s head since 1646.

Synonyms

aureole nimbus inaureole

Related words

halation

Derived words

22° halo 22-degree halo antihalo Deuel's halo sign dihalo enhalo galactic halo halo blight halo brim halo car halochalcogenate halo effect haloesque halofinding halo hat haloless halolike halo nucleus halo orbit haloscope halo sign intrahalo massive and compact halo object massive astronomical compact halo object massive astrophysical compact halo object massive compact halo object microhalo minihalo near-rectilinear halo orbit neutron halo nuclear halo pleochroic halo protohalo proton halo radio halo radiohalo solar halo sprite halo subhalo
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