noun pl. halos or haloes
- a ring of light that seems to encircle the sun, moon, or other luminous body: it results from the refraction of light through ice crystals in our atmosphere
- a spherical distribution of stars and star clusters extending beyond the main body of certain galaxies, as the Milky Way
- a symbolic disk or ring of light shown around or above the head of a saint, etc., as in pictures; nimbus: often used as a symbol of virtue or innocence
- the splendor or glory with which a famed, revered, or idealized person or thing is invested
Origin:
L halos (gen. & acc. halo) < Gr halōs, circular threshing floor, round disk of the sun or moon, hence halo around the sun or moon < halein, to grind < IE base *al-, to grind > Arm ałam, grind, Hindi āṭā, meal
transitive verb haloed, haloing
to encircle with a halo