halo
/hˈeɪloʊ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.75 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
noun
A 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.
noun
Anything resembling this band, such as an effect caused by imperfect developing of photographs.
noun
nimbus, a luminous disc, often of gold, around or over the heads of saints, etc., in religious paintings.
noun
The metaphorical aura of glory, veneration or sentiment which surrounds an idealized entity.
noun
The bias caused by the halo effect.
Example Sentences
- "her halo slipped"
- "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!"
- "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 […]"
- "When you have enough experience, you can do a HALO jump."
- "Weather balloons at maximum altitude are considered HALOs."
- "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."
Etymology
Clipping of Halotestin.