From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishnimbusnim‧bus /ˈnɪmbəs/ noun (plural nimbuses or nimbi /-baɪ/) 1 [countable, uncountable] technicalHEM a dark cloud that may bring rain or snow2 [countable]x-ref a halo
Examples from the Corpus
nimbus• Her face was framed by her Pamela bonnet, a nimbus of straw trimmed with pink ribbons and blue silk anemones.• She was cross legged, bare breasted, her hair around her head like a nimbus.• Then we were higher still and the earth curved away from us, showing a nimbus of atmosphere at its edge.• All around the head of the minister-with-the-film-star looks was a nimbus, or brightly-shining halo.• A nimbus of light had collected there, spinning gently.• They seemed to glow in the flickering green-gold gold light, as if embraced by a holy nimbus.• The tilted eyes of the others gives the doctor his heroic, questing mien, his humourless nimbus.Origin nimbus (1600-1700) Latin “rainstorm, cloud” 