-
halo
halonouna geometric shape, usually in the form of a disk, circle, ring, or rayed structure, traditionally representing a radiant light around or above the head of a divine or sacred personage, an ancient or medieval monarch, etc.
-
halo-
halo-a combining form meaning “salt,” used in the formation of compound words (halophyte ); sometimes specialized as a combining form of (halothane ).
halo
1 Americannoun
-
Also called nimbus. a geometric shape, usually in the form of a disk, circle, ring, or rayed structure, traditionally representing a radiant light around or above the head of a divine or sacred personage, an ancient or medieval monarch, etc.
-
an atmosphere or quality of glory, majesty, sanctity, or the like.
The "profession" of a medieval lord cast a halo around him and made him a ruler of men.
-
Meteorology. any of a variety of bright circles or arcs centered on the sun or moon, caused by the refraction or reflection of light by ice crystals suspended in the earth's atmosphere and exhibiting prismatic coloration ranging from red inside to blue outside (distinguished from corona).
-
Astronomy. a spherical cloud of gas clusters and stars that form part of a spiral galaxy.
-
any of various other things resembling a halo, especially a lighter or differently colored area surrounding an object.
I think the scab was from some kind of bite, and now there's a halo around it with bruising.
-
Also called Cellini's halo. Heiligenschein.
-
an undesirable bright or dark ring surrounding an image on the fluorescent screen of a television tube, due to some fault either in transmission or reception.
verb (used with object)
-
to surround with a halo.
verb (used without object)
-
to form a halo.
-
a combining form meaning “salt,” used in the formation of compound words (halophyte ); sometimes specialized as a combining form of halogen (halothane ).
noun
-
a disc or ring of light around the head of an angel, saint, etc, as in painting or sculpture
-
the aura surrounding an idealized, famous, or admired person, thing, or event
-
a circle of light around the sun or moon, caused by the refraction of light by particles of ice
-
astronomy a spherical cloud of stars surrounding the Galaxy and other spiral galaxies
verb
-
to surround with or form a halo
combining form
-
indicating salt or the sea
halophyte
-
relating to or containing a halogen
halothane
-
A hazy ring of colored light in the sky around the Sun, Moon, or a similar bright object. A halo is caused by the reflection and refraction of light through atmospheric ice crystals.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
halosimple
-
haloessimple
-
have haloedperfect
-
has haloedperfect
-
are haloingprogressive
-
am haloingprogressive
-
is haloingprogressive
-
have been haloingperfect progressive
-
has been haloingperfect progressive
Past
-
haloedsimple
-
had haloedperfect
-
was haloingprogressive
-
were haloingprogressive
-
had been haloingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of halo1
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin, accusative of halōs “circle around the sun or moon,” from Greek hálōs “threshing floor; grain on a threshing floor; shield; halo”
Origin of halo-2
< Greek, combining form of háls salt
A glowing light that circles something, like the moon or a person's head is a halo. Painters of religious art often put a halo around the heads of angels and saints. A halo is a symbol of holiness, represented by a circle or arc of light around the head of a saint or holy person. Any circle of light can be described as a halo, even in a non-religious context; sometimes you'll see a glowing halo of light around the moon, for example. The word halo also means "glory or majesty," a symbolic halo rather than a physical one. The Greek halos means "ring of light around the sun or moon."
Long Way Down
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Flying Lessons & Other Stories
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Halos have gone to halo, the Big A is now the Big L and, somewhere, a rally monkey weeps.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
And if growing excitement doesn’t qualify as an investment, investors should at least know who could be affected by the SpaceX halo effect.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
The total car weight cannot be compared because of the increased mass of the modern safety systems, such as the halo head-protection structure.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Qualcomm’s stock finally seems to have an artificial-intelligence halo.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
“Here it comes,” said Willis, and lofted the ball into the air, so that it rose into the silver light and took on its own halo.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.