halo

1 of 3

noun

ha·​lo ˈhā-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce halo (audio)
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 waterfallsMichael Crawford

halo-

3 of 3

combining form

see hal-

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
Global flavors collide, with tiny restaurants and food stalls slinging plates of biryani, falafel, shawarma, samosas, pani puri and the even Filipino halo halo. Catherine Garcia, theweek, 22 Oct. 2024 Ferrari’s halo cars come along once every decade or so and are meant to push all the boundaries of automotive design, pairing timeless looks with forward-thinking mechanical hardware. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 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 See all Example Sentences for halo 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'halo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of halo was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near halo

Cite this Entry

“Halo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halo. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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
3
: the atmosphere of glory or sentiment surrounding a person or thing considered perfect

Medical Definition

halo

noun
ha·​lo ˈhā-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce halo (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on halo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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