Halo
['heɪləʊ] or ['helo]
Definition
(n.) 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.
(n.) 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.
(n.) An ideal glory investing, or affecting one's perception of, an object.
(n.) A colored circle around a nipple; an areola.
(v. t. & i.) To form, or surround with, a halo; to encircle with, or as with, a halo.
Checked by Kenneth
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. [1]. Ring (of light).[2]. (Painting.) Glory.
Inputed by Boris
Definition
n. a luminous circle round the sun or moon due to the presence of ice-crystals in the air: (paint.) the bright ring round the heads of saints hence any ideal or sentimental glory attaching to a thing:—pl. Halos (hā′lōz).—v.t. to surround with a halo.—n. Hal′oscope an instrument exhibiting the phenomena connected with halos parhelia &c.
Typed by Elvin
Unserious Contents or Definition
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.
Inputed by Jarvis
Examples
- Unquestionably the doctrine-driven men who made the economics of the last century had much to do with the halo which encircled the smutted head of industrialism. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
- If her forehead shone luminous with the reflex of a halo, I knew in the fire of whose irids that circlet of holy flame had generation. Charlotte Bronte. Villette.
- He is surrounded by a mysterious halo of family confidences, of which he is known to be the silent depository. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- How in poor assemblage of words convey the halo of glory that surrounded her, the thousand graces that waited unwearied on her. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- They saw a man come from the dark building, with a lighted lantern which swung golden, and made that his dark feet walked in a halo of snow. D. H. Lawrence. Women in Love .
- Our beloved Rebecca had no need, however, of any such a friendly halo to set off her beauty. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
Checker: Marty