halos
|ha-lo|
🇺🇸
/ˈheɪloʊ/
🇬🇧
/ˈheɪləʊ/
(halo)
circle of light
Etymology
'halo' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'halōs', where the root meant 'threshing-floor' or 'disk' (a round area).
'halo' changed from the Greek word 'halōs' into Medieval/Neo-Latin usages and later entered English as 'halo' to describe circular forms and then the ring of light meaning.
Initially, it meant 'threshing-floor' or 'disk'; over time it evolved to mean 'a ring or circle' and came to be used for the optical 'ring of light' and the artistic/religious 'aura' around holy figures.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an optical phenomenon appearing as a ring or circle of light surrounding the sun, moon, or other bright sources, caused by the refraction or scattering of light (often by ice crystals).
Thin halos around the sun often mean a change in the weather is coming.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
a circular or disk-shaped glow depicted around the head of a sacred or holy figure in art (also called an aureole or nimbus).
In the medieval painting, the halos above the saints are painted in gold leaf.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/12 11:31