What does "halo" mean?

1. (religious art) a bright circle or ring of light shown around the head of a holy person in a painting. 2. (weather/space) a ring of light that sometimes appears around the sun or the moon. 3. (psychology bias) the 'halo effect', where you think someone is good at everything just because they are good at one thing. 4. (medical brace) a metal ring used to hold a person's head and neck still after an injury. 5. (to surround with light) to surround something with a ring of light.

halo

n. · v.

US //ˈheɪɫoʊ// UK //hˈeɪləʊ// ha·lo

1 religious art (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Religion

a bright circle or ring of light shown around the head of a holy person in a painting.

a luminous disc or circle, often gold, depicted around the head of a saint or deity in religious iconography.

Example

In the old painting, the artist drew a golden halo around the angel's head.

Example

The medieval fresco depicts the apostles with distinct golden halos to signify their divine status within the narrative.
- nimbus
- aura
- glory
2 weather/space (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Science

a ring of light that sometimes appears around the sun or the moon.

a circle of light or colour around the sun, moon, or other luminous body caused by the refraction of light through ice crystals.

Example

We looked up and saw a strange, pale halo around the moon last night.

Example

The atmospheric conditions were perfect for the formation of a 22-degree halo, creating a spectacular ring around the midday sun.
- ring
- corona

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3 psychology bias (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic

the 'halo effect', where you think someone is good at everything just because they are good at one thing.

the cognitive bias known as the 'halo effect', where an observer's overall impression of a person influences their feelings about that person's character.

Example

The manager's halo made him overlook the new employee's frequent mistakes.

Example

The halo effect often leads interviewers to rate attractive candidates as more competent, regardless of their actual professional experience.
- bias
- prejudice
4 medical brace (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Medicine

a metal ring used to hold a person's head and neck still after an injury.

a medical device consisting of a metal ring encircling the head, used to stabilise the cervical spine after severe trauma.

Example

After the accident, he had to wear a halo for three months to help his neck heal.

Example

The surgeon opted for a halo vest to ensure complete immobilisation of the patient's upper vertebrae during the recovery period.
- brace
- stabiliser
5 to surround with light (v.)
C2 Proficiency Literary

to surround something with a ring of light.

to encircle or surround an object with a halo or a similar luminous border.

Example

The setting sun seemed to halo the mountain peaks in a soft orange glow.

Example

The backlight from the stage lamps served to halo the singer, creating a dramatic silhouette against the dark background.
- encircle
- ring

Origin

From Latin halōs, from Ancient Greek ἅλως (hálōs, “threshing floor; disk; disk of the sun or moon; ring of light around the sun or moon”), of unknown origin. The threshing floor's circular threshold or oxen walking on it in a circle gave rise to the other meanings. Used in English since 1563; the sense of light around someone’s head since 1646.