[-bahy] , -bus·es. 
) U.S. Aerospace. one of a series of polar-orbiting meteorological and environmental research satellites, the last of which Nimbus 7, launched 1978, was the first satellite designed to monitor atmospheric pollutants.1610–20; < Latin: a rainstorm, rain cloud, thundercloud, cloud; akin to Latin nebula and Greek nephélē, néphos cloud
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| the shield or breastplate of Zeus or Athena, bearing at its center the head of the Gorgon |
| one of a class of rural deities represented as men with the ears, horns, tail, and later also the hind legs of a goat |
- First, you have to figure out it's not the sound-alike acronym, it's the plural of nimbus.
- And a giddy nimbus of wannabes surrounded these regal figures and basked in their company.
- Even viewed through a nimbus of nostalgia, the replay loop gets old.
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nimbus
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| nimbus (nĭm'bəs) Pronunciation Key
Plural nimbi (nĭm'bī') or nimbuses A rain cloud. |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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nimbus
in art, radiant circle or disk surrounding the head of a holy person, a representation of spiritual character through the symbolism of light. In Hellenistic and Roman art the sun-god Helios and Roman emperors often appear with a crown of rays. Because of its pagan origin, the form was avoided in Early Christian art, but a simple circular nimbus was adopted by Christian emperors for their official portraits. From the middle of the 4th century, Christ was also shown with this imperial attribute, as was his symbol, the Lamb of God, from the end of the 4th century. In the 5th century it was sometimes given to angels, but it was not until the 6th century that the halo became customary for the Virgin Mary and other saints. For a period during the 5th century, living persons of eminence were depicted with a square nimbus.
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