gleam

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Translations 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Synonyms 1.4.2 Translations 1.5 References

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

• (noun) Originates before the first millennium from Middle English gleme, from Old English glæm; see Proto-Indo-European *ghel-.
• (verb) Derived from the Middle English noun form before the first millennium.

[edit] Pronunciation

•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

• Rhymes: -iːm

[edit] Noun

gleam (plural gleams)

1. a small or indistinct shaft or stream of light.
2. a glimpse or hint; an indistinct sign of something.

   The rescue workers preserved a gleam of optimism that they might still survive.

3. brightness or shininess; splendor.

[edit] Synonyms

• (small shaft or stream of light) beam, ray
• (glimpse or indistinct sign) flicker, glimmer, trace
• (brightness or splendor) dazzle, lambency, shine

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to gleam (third-person singular simple present gleams, present participle gleaming, simple past and past participle gleamed)

1. To shine; to glitter; to glisten.
2. To be briefly but strongly apparent.
3. (obsolete, falconry) To disgorge filth, as a hawk.

[edit] Synonyms

• (to shine, glitter, or glisten) glint, sparkle
• (to radiate or emanate) glow, shine
• (to be briefly but strongly apparent) flare, flash, kindle

[edit] Translations

[edit] References

• “gleam” in The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.
• “gleam” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
• "gleam" in On-line Medical Dictionary, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1997–2005.
• “gleam” in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.