nimbus

noun nim·bus \ ˈnim-bəs \

|Updated on: 30 Jun 2018

plural nimbi play \ˈnim-ˌbī, -ˌbē\ or nimbuses

1 a : a luminous vapor, cloud, or atmosphere about a god or goddess when on earth

b : a cloud or atmosphere (as of romance) about a person or thing

2 : an indication (such as a circle) of radiant light or glory about the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign

3 a : a rain cloud

b : thunderhead; also : cumulus 2

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Examples of nimbus in a Sentence

fans are inevitably disappointed when the nimbus of glamour about their favorite celebrity turns out to be an illusion
the nimbi for the sculpted figures around the exterior of the church are simple disks about the saints' heads

Recent Examples of nimbus from the Web

With her signature nimbus of mahogany-and-gray curls tied into an overhead bun, Brock Akil, 48, knows how to persevere.

— jason parham, WIRED, "How Oprah’s Network Finally Found Its Voice," 19 June 2018
Rosie Huntingdon-Whitely wore a simple round nimbus, as seen in Da Vinci’s Madonna Benois, which looked very nice.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "Getting Into the Holy Spirit," 8 May 2018
Her songs look at restless travels along with the details of everyday life, in roots-rock with a nimbus of psychedelia.

— the new york times, New York Times, "22 Musicals, Plays, Concerts, Dances and Festivals You Can’t Miss This Spring," 20 Feb. 2018
White dogwood branches looked like clouds, the pale saucers of their blossoms arranged in white nimbuses.

— john kelly, Washington Post, "In spring, a middle-aged man’s fancy turns to blossoms and batteries," 29 Apr. 2018
Julian Schnabel painted him looking both heroic and angry, surrounded by a lightning-blue nimbus.

— pete wells, New York Times, "Schnitzel and Strudel and Other Favorite Things, at Wallsé," 19 Dec. 2017
The absent-minded genius with the shaggy nimbus of white hair, standing before a blackboard filled with equations.

— misha berson, The Seattle Times, "Taproot’s formulaic “Relativity” questions genius over goodness," 26 Sep. 2017
Even as figs continue to pelt the ground, the first to fall have begun to rot and are enveloped in a nimbus of diaphanous white fungus.

— christian ziegler, National Geographic, "One Tiny Wasp Turns a Fig Tree Into a 150-Foot-High Eden," 29 Sep. 2016
Millions of Americans across a 70-mile-wide swath from Oregon to South Carolina on Monday watched the moon pass in front of the sun and, ultimately, cover it altogether, except for a fiery nimbus at its edge.

— Bloomberg.com, "Solar Eclipse Awes America With a Glimpse of Totality," 21 Aug. 2017

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