[nim-buh
s] 
[-bahy] , -bus⋅es. | 1. | Classical Mythology. a shining cloud sometimes surrounding a deity when on earth. |
| 2. | a cloud, aura, atmosphere, etc., surrounding a person or thing: The candidate was encompassed with a nimbus of fame. |
| 3. | halo (def. 1). |
| 4. | the type of dense clouds or cloud mass with ragged edges, that yields rain or snow; a rain cloud. |
| 5. | (initial capital letter) 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. |
[hey-loh] noun, plural -los, -loes, verb, -loed, -lo⋅ing.| 1. | Also called nimbus. a geometric shape, usually in the form of a disk, circle, ring, or rayed structure, traditionally representing a radiant light around or above the head of a divine or sacred personage, an ancient or medieval monarch, etc. |
| 2. | an atmosphere or quality of glory, majesty, sanctity, or the like: the halo around Shakespeare's works; She put a halo around her son. |
| 3. | Meteorology. any of a variety of bright circles or arcs centered on the sun or moon, caused by the refraction or reflection of light by ice crystals suspended in the earth's atmosphere and exhibiting prismatic coloration ranging from red inside to blue outside (distinguished from corona ). |
| 4. | Astronomy. a spherical cloud of gas clusters and stars that form part of a spiral galaxy. |
| 5. | an undesirable bright or dark ring surrounding an image on the fluorescent screen of a television tube, due to some fault either in transmission or reception. |
| 6. | to surround with a halo. |
| 7. | to form a halo. |
| nim·bus (nĭm'bəs) n. pl. nim·bi (-bī') or nim·bus·es
[Latin, cloud; see nebh- in Indo-European roots.] |
halo ha·lo (hā'lō)
n. pl. ha·los or ha·loes
A reddish yellow ring surrounding the optic disk, caused by an expansion of the scleral ring that makes the deeper structures visible.
Glaucomatous halo.
A ring of light surrounding a luminous body.
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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