halo
noun /ˈheɪləʊ/
/ˈheɪləʊ/
(plural haloes, halos)
- (in paintings, etc.) a circle of light shown around or above the head of a holy person
- She played the part of an angel, complete with wings and a halo.
- (figurative) a halo of white frizzy hair
- (informal) a corona (= a ring of light seen around the sun or moon, especially during an eclipse)
Word Originmid 16th cent. (denoting a circle of light round the sun etc.): from medieval Latin, from Latin halos, from Greek halōs ‘disc of the sun or moon’.