halo

plural halos · plural haloes

1. A circular band of coloured light, visible around the sun or moon etc., caused by reflection and refraction of light by ice crystals in the atmosphere.
2. astronomyA cloud of gas and other matter surrounding and captured by the gravitational field of a large diffuse astronomical object, such as a galaxy or cluster of galaxies.
3. Anything resembling this band, such as an effect caused by imperfect developing of photographs.
4. lifestylenimbus, a luminous disc, often of gold, around or over the heads of saints, etc., in religious paintings.
5. The metaphorical aura of glory, veneration or sentiment which surrounds an idealized entity.

   her halo slipped

   1 more example

   O! yearning heart! I did inherit Thy withering portion with the fame, The searing glory which hath shone Amid the jewels of my throne, Halo of Hell!

   1829, Edgar Allan Poe, “Tamerlane”, in Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems

6. advertisingThe bias caused by the halo effect.

   1 more example

   In both cases, they found that […] there was a halo effect (e.g., when a "low cholesterol" claim was made, consumers perceived other nutrients, such as fat, also to be at low levels when they were actually high). Andrews reported that these misleading halos were reduced only when the claims were accompanied by an evaluative disclosure […]

   2016, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division, Food and Nutrition Board, Food Literacy: How Do Communications and Marketing Impact Consumer Knowledge, Skills, and Behavior?, page 51

7. arta circular annulus ring, frequently luminous, often golden, floating above the head
8. medicineA circular brace used to keep the head and neck in position.
9. hobbiesA roll bar placed in front of the driver, used to protect the cockpit of an open cockpit racecar.
10. abbreviationellipsisautomotiveEllipsis of halo headlight.

present singular third person haloes · participle present haloing · participle past haloed · past haloed

1. transitiveTo encircle with a halo.

   Synonyms: inaureole

1. slanguncountablebodybuildingThe anabolic steroid fluoxymesterone, also known as Halotestin.

plural HALOs

1. abbreviationacronymcountableuncountableaeronauticsAcronym of high altitude, low opening (“a type of skydiving where one leaves the launch platform from a high altitude and opens the parachute at a very low altitude”).

   When you have enough experience, you can do a HALO jump.

2. abbreviationacronymcountableuncountableAcronym of hazardous area life-support organization.
3. abbreviationacronymcountableuncountableaeronauticsAcronym of high altitude, low orbiting.

   Weather balloons at maximum altitude are considered HALOs.

4. abbreviationacronymcountableuncountablebusinessAcronym of heavy assets, low obsolescence (“AI-resistant stocks”).

   Call it the AI immunity trade, HALO—for “heavy assets, low obsolescence”—or just another iteration of the jitters that have periodically rippled through markets since the AI investing boom began. […] Not everyone is convinced the HALO hype will stick around.

   2026 February 22, Hannah Erin Lang, “Wall Street’s Latest Bet Is on ‘HALO’ Companies With AI Immunity”, in The Wall Street Journal, archived from the original on 22 Feb 2026

plural Halos

1. countableinformaluncountableball gamesA member of the Angels Major League Baseball team.
2. countableuncountablebusinessAlternative letter-case form of HALO.

   1 more example

   While US mega-cap tech companies have had a rough start to 2026, the Halo trade helped to push UK and EU stock markets to record levels by the end of February. […] Goldman defined Halo businesses as ones which pair substantial physical capital (where barriers to replication include cost, regulation, time to build or engineering complexity) with long-lived economic relevance.

   2026 March 1, Graeme Wearden, “AI-resistant ‘halo’ stocks drive UK and EU markets to record highs”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 01 Mar 2026