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

This device makes a halo of cool around your body, with a retro design of the company’s room fans from the 2010s. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The World of 2045," 14 Oct. 2018 So the duchess effect is still going strong for classic halos, too! — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle Has Made This Ring Style Unbelievably Popular," 25 Jan. 2019 Although solar and lunar halos form in the same way, there’s one noticeable difference. — Kathryn Prociv, Washington Post, "Skywatchers in Chile were star-struck by this incredible lunar halo," 13 Apr. 2018 This imbalance can cause exotic behaviour, including a surface 'skin' that is richer in neutrons than protons, or an extended halo in which neutrons orbit alone, as in lithium-11 (see ‘Probing a halo’). — Elizabeth Gibney, Scientific American, "Physicists Plan Antimatter's First Outing--in a Van," 21 Feb. 2018 Lady Gaga's engagement ring is also similar to those of the royals, with a large pink oval stone surrounded by a diamond halo. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Katy Perry's Engagement Ring from Orlando Bloom Has a Surprising Link to Princess Diana," 16 Feb. 2019 The actor proposed with a unique engagement ring, featuring a pink or red center stone surrounded by a diamond halo. — Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, "Everything You Need to Know About Katy Perry's Engagement Ring From Orlando Bloom," 15 Feb. 2019 One session, and I was completely hooked on the way my whole face seemed to light up when it was surrounded by a colorful halo. — Sarah Wu, Glamour, "This $30 Aquis Towel Completely Saved My Hair Color," 10 Dec. 2018 Both of those colored center stones are surrounded by halos of diamonds. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Why Princess Eugenie and Kate Middleton's Engagement Rings Look So Similar," 7 Oct. 2018

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

29 Mar 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