HALO

aura, aureole, halo, nimbus, glory, gloriole

(noun) an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint

halo

(noun) a circle of light around the sun or moon

ring, halo, annulus, doughnut, anchor ring

(noun) a toroidal shape; “a ring of ships in the harbor”; “a halo of smoke”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

halo (plural halos or haloes)

A circular band of coloured light, visible around the sun or moon etc, caused by reflection and refraction of light by ice crystals in the atmosphere.

(astronomy) A cloud of gas and other matter surrounding and captured by the gravitational field of a large diffuse astronomical object, such as a galaxy or cluster of galaxies.

Anything resembling this band, such as an effect caused by imperfect developing of photographs.

(religion) nimbus, a luminous disc, often of gold, around or over the heads of saints, etc, in religious paintings.

The metaphorical aura of glory, veneration or sentiment which surrounds an idealized entity.

(art, religion, iconography) a circular annulus ring, frequently luminous, often golden, floating above the head

(medicine) A circular brace used to keep the head and neck in position.

(motorsport) A rollbar placed in front of the driver, used to protect the cockpit of a open cockpit racecar.

Synonyms

• (luminous disc around head of saints in paintings): aureole, nimbus

Verb

halo (third-person singular simple present haloes, present participle haloing, simple past and past participle haloed)

(transitive) To encircle with a halo.

Synonym: inaureole

Anagrams

• hola

Noun

HALO (countable and uncountable, plural HALOs)

(parachuting) Acronym of high altitude, low opening. A type of skydiving where one leaves the launch platform from a high altitude and opens the parachute at a very low altitude.

Acronym of hazardous area life-support organization.

(aviation) Acronym of high altitude, low orbiting.

Anagrams

• hola

Source: Wiktionary

Ha"lo, n.; pl. Halos(. Etym: [L. halos, acc. halo, Gr. volvere, and E. voluble.]

1. A luminous circle, usually prismatically colored, round the sun or moon, and supposed to be caused by the refraction of light through crystals of ice in the atmosphere. Connected with halos there are often white bands, crosses, or arches, resulting from the same atmospheric conditions.

2. A circle of light; especially, the bright ring represented in painting as surrounding the heads of saints and other holy persons; a glory; a nimbus.

3. An ideal glory investing, or affecting one's perception of, an object.

4. A colored circle around a nipple; an areola.

Ha"lo, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Haloed; p. pr. & vb. n. Haloing.]

Definition: To form, or surround with, a halo; to encircle with, or as with, a halo. The fire That haloed round his saintly brow. Sothey.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition