aureole

noun au·re·ole \ ˈȯr-ē-ˌōl \

variants: or aureola play \ȯ-ˈrē-ə-lə, ə-\

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Examples: aureole in a Sentence

Definition of aureole

1 a : a radiant light around the head or body of a representation of a sacred personage

b : something resembling an aureole

an aureole of hair

2 : radiance, aura

an aureole of youth and health

3 : the luminous area surrounding the sun or other bright light when seen through thin cloud or mist : corona

4 : a ring-shaped zone around an igneous intrusion

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aureole

transitive verb

See aureole defined for kids

Examples of aureole in a Sentence

the white marble sculpture of the saint in the throes of divine ecstasy is strikingly offset by a gilt aureole

Recent Examples of aureole from the Web

In the strongest work, half of the 9-foot-tall aureole apparently has been blown away, black resin flapping in shards out the back.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "Jamison Carter's sculptures: Like a carpenter's guide to the cosmos, or earthbound explosions of space," 14 June 2018
Venus Express will peer into the planet's upper atmosphere during the aureole, providing an absolute chemical measurement.

— dave mosher, Popular Mechanics, "How the Venus Transit Will Help Us Hunt New Earths," 4 June 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aureole.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of aureole

Middle English aureole heavenly crown worn by saints, from Medieval Latin aureola, from Latin, feminine of aureolus golden, diminutive of aureus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year