Halo

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Halo \Ha"lo\, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. {Haloed} (-l[=o]d); p.
     pr. & vb. n. {Haloing}.]
     To form, or surround with, a halo; to encircle with, or as
     with, a halo.
     [1913 Webster]
  


           The fire
           That haloed round his saintly brow.      --Southey.
     [1913 Webster] halobacter

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Halo \Ha"lo\ (h[=a]"l[-o]), n.; pl. {Halos} (-l[=o]z). [L.
     halos, acc. halo, Gr. "a`lws a thrashing floor, also (from
     its round shape) the disk of the sun or moon, and later a
     halo round it; cf. Gr. e'ily`ein to enfold, 'ely`ein to roll
     round, L. 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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. An ideal glory investing, or affecting one's perception
        of, an object.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A colored circle around a nipple; an areola.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  halo
       n 1: an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a
            saint [syn: {aura}, {aureole}, {nimbus}, {glory}, {gloriole}]
       2: a toroidal shape; "a ring of ships in the harbor"; "a halo
          of smoke" [syn: {ring}, {annulus}, {anulus}, {doughnut}, {anchor
          ring}]
       3: a circle of light around the sun or moon
       [also: {haloes} (pl)]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  75 Moby Thesaurus words for "halo":
     O, annular muscle, annulation, annulus, anthelion, antisun, areola,
     aura, aureola, aureole, blaze of glory, brilliance, brilliancy,
     chaplet, charisma, circle, circuit, circumference, circus,
     closed circle, corona, coronet, countersun, crown, cycle, diadem,
     disc, discus, disk, envelope, eternal return, fairy ring, garland,
     glamour, glory, illustriousness, lasso, logical circle, loop,
     looplet, lunar corona, lunar halo, luster, magic, magic circle,
     mock moon, mock sun, moon dog, mystique, nimbus, noose,
     numinousness, orbit, paraselene, parhelic circle, parhelion,
     radiance, radius, rainbow, resplendence, resplendency, ring,
     rondelle, round, roundel, saucer, solar corona, solar halo,
     sphincter, splendor, sun dog, vesica, vicious circle, wheel,
     wreath
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  HALO, n.  Properly, a luminous ring encircling an astronomical body,
  but not infrequently confounded with "aureola," or "nimbus," a
  somewhat similar phenomenon worn as a head-dress by divinities and
  saints.  The halo is a purely optical illusion, produced by moisture
  in the air, in the manner of a rainbow; but the aureola is conferred
  as a sign of superior sanctity, in the same way as a bishop's mitre,
  or the Pope's tiara.  In the painting of the Nativity, by Szedgkin, a
  pious artist of Pesth, not only do the Virgin and the Child wear the
  nimbus, but an ass nibbling hay from the sacred manger is similarly
  decorated and, to his lasting honor be it said, appears to bear his
  unaccustomed dignity with a truly saintly grace.
  
  

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Halo, KY
    Zip code(s): 41633