Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Halo?

\Ha"lo\, n.; pl. {Halos}(?). [L. halos, acc. halo, Gr. ? a thrashing floor, also (from its round shape) the disk of the sun or moon, and later a halo round it; cf. Gr. ? to enfold, ? 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. 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}.] To form, or surround with, a halo; to encircle with, or as with, a halo. The fire That haloed round his saintly brow. --Sothey.