halo

/ˈheɪloʊ/

/ˈheɪləʊ/

Other forms: halos; haloes

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."

Definitions of halo

1. noun

   a circle of light around the sun or moon
   types:

   parhelic circle, parhelic ring, solar halo

   a luminous halo parallel to the horizon at the altitude of the sun; caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere

   type of:

   atmospheric phenomenon

   a physical phenomenon associated with the atmosphere
2. noun

   an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint
   synonyms: aura, aureole, gloriole, glory, nimbus

   type of:

   light, lightness

   the visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures
3. noun

   a toroidal shape
   “a halo of smoke”

   synonyms: anchor ring, annulus, doughnut, ring

   types:

   fairy circle, fairy ring

   a ring of fungi marking the periphery of the perennial underground growth of the mycelium

   type of:

   toroid

   the doughnut-shaped object enclosed by a torus