halo
halo — noun
1. in religious paintings, a bright circle placed behind a sacred figure such as a
in religious paintings, a bright circle placed behind a sacred figure such as a saint or an angel, representing their holiness and connection to the divine.
In the old painting, every saint has a thin golden halo around the head.
collocation: golden halo / have a halo
Omar noticed that the stained-glass window showed Mary with a bright halo.
The artist added a pale yellow halo behind the angel's head to suggest light.
Children asked why only the Buddha in the mural had a halo.
According to tradition, a halo never casts a shadow in religious paintings.
用法筆記
Frequently used with adjectives describing colour or material (golden, bright, pale) and with verbs like have, paint, add, wear.
常見錯誤
2. a ring of bright light that appears around the sun, the moon, or another light s
a ring of bright light that appears around the sun, the moon, or another light source such as a streetlamp, often caused by ice crystals or water droplets in the air.
A pale halo surrounded the moon on that cold, clear winter night.
halo + verb: surrounded the moon
Wei pointed at the streetlight and asked why it had a halo in the fog.
An astronomer explained that a solar halo means ice is high in the sky.
Linh took a photograph of the lighthouse with a soft halo around its beam.
When mist rolled in, each lamp along the pier wore a dim halo.
- corona
a scientific term for the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere seen during an eclipse; also used for a halo around the moon.
- ring of light
a descriptive phrase instead of the single word; less precise but more generally understood.
用法筆記
Often modified by adjectives describing brightness or weather conditions (pale, dim, bright, solar, lunar). Can be used with of-phrases: a halo of light.
halo — verb
1. to surround something or someone with a circle of light, or to be surrounded by
to surround something or someone with a circle of light, or to be surrounded by light in a way that creates a halo-like effect.
The old streetlamp was haloed by the thick fog that night.
passive: be haloed by [fog/mist]
A single candle haloed the face of the woman reading by the window.
Rachel's hair was haloed in soft sunlight as she stood on the balcony.
Morning mist haloed each lamp along the river with a faint orange glow.
文法句型
be haloed + by/in + [light source]
halo + [object]
用法筆記
Almost always in passive voice (be haloed by/in). Active voice is very rare and mostly literary. Subject is typically a light source or atmospheric condition.
halo — combining form
1. a prefix used in scientific terms, meaning 'salt' or 'related to salt or chlorin
a prefix used in scientific terms, meaning 'salt' or 'related to salt or chlorine'; for example in words like halogen and halide.
The chemistry teacher explained that halogen means 'salt-former' in Greek.
halogen = salt-former
Piotr learned that sodium chloride is a common halide compound.
Samir tested the solution for halide ions using a silver nitrate reaction.
The label on the cleaning bottle warned that it contained halogen compounds.
Vinícius read that many modern light bulbs use halogen gas instead of air.
用法筆記
This combining form is etymologically unrelated to the 'ring of light' meaning of halo. It comes from a different Greek root (háls meaning 'salt'). Learners encounter it mostly in chemistry and biology vocabulary.