halo

noun

ha·lo | \ ˈhā-(ˌ)lō

plural halos or haloes

Definition of halo

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

verb

haloed; haloing; haloes

Definition of halo (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

: to form into or surround with a halo rainbows haloed the waterfalls— Michael Crawford

halo-

combining form

Definition of halo- (Entry 3 of 3)

— see hal-

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about halo

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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

Shirts can be printed quickly and in vibrant color, often with photographs surrounded by angel wings or a halo. — Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, "Where gun violence abounds, honoring loved ones with ‘Rest in Peace’ shirts," 10 Aug. 2019 The red giant star is 35,000 light-years from Earth, in the Milky Way's halo. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Ancient star discovery sheds light on Big Bang mystery," 1 Aug. 2019 His head is tilted down, eyes closed, a halo floating above. — Dorany Pineda, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Across L.A., murals are a testament to Nipsey Hussle’s legacy," 14 July 2019 There are many other theories for how direct-collapse black holes could be created: Perhaps halos of dark matter formed ultra-massive quasi-stars that then collapsed, or dense clusters of regular-mass stars merged and then collapsed. — Meredith Fore, WIRED, "Where Do Supermassive Black Holes Come From?," 18 July 2019 While the likes of Hilary Rhoda, Charlott Cordes, and Sophie Elgort were drawn to a spectacular 12-carat circle-cut diamond, slim bands and micro-pave halos take a more delicate approach. — Olivia Martin, Town & Country, "How Ashley Graham Found the Perfect Engagement Ring," 15 July 2019 Kuriya’s gyoza dumplings have the same willowy cornstarch halo as Kimura’s. — Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, "Review: Kuriya @ Cherrity Bar delivers Japanese ramen with San Antonio charm," 3 July 2019 Bands can be as simple as a metal ring, or as grand as a diamond halo band. — Colleen Banks, Harper's BAZAAR, "How Much to Spend—and Where to Save—When Shopping for an Engagement Ring," 12 June 2019 First, clouds of dark matter coalesce into relatively dense dark-matter haloes. — Quanta Magazine, "Strange Dark Galaxy Puzzles Astrophysicists," 27 Sep. 2016

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Turner’s head is haloed by the sun, much like the moon during a solar eclipse. — Marissa Fessenden, Smithsonian, "Artist’s Quilts Pay Tribute to African-American Women," 4 May 2018 At the time, Mikey was recovering from being neutered and was haloed by a large plastic dog cone around his neck. — Marc Lester, adn.com, "How a service dog opened an Alaska veteran's world," 16 May 2015

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

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Dictionary Entries near halo

Statistics for halo

Last Updated

16 Aug 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for halo

The first known use of halo was in 1603

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More Definitions for halo

halo

noun

English Language Learners Definition of halo

: a circle of light that is shown in a religious painting, drawing, etc., around the head of a holy figure (such as an angel, saint, or god)

: a bright circle seen around the sun or the moon

See the full definition for halo in the English Language Learners Dictionary

halo

noun

ha·lo | \ ˈhā-lō

plural halos or haloes

Kids Definition of halo

1 : a bright circle around the head of a person (as in a painting) that signifies holiness

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

halo

noun

ha·lo | \ ˈhā-(ˌ)lō

plural halos or haloes

Medical Definition of halo

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