gleam
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also glean
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[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
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Audio (US) (file)
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- Rhymes: -iːm
[edit] Noun
gleam (plural gleams)
- a small or indistinct shaft or stream of light.
- a glimpse or hint; an indistinct sign of something.
- The rescue workers preserved a gleam of optimism that they might still survive.
- 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
small shaft or stream of light
[edit] Verb
gleam (third-person singular simple present gleams, present participle gleaming, simple past and past participle gleamed)
- To shine; to glitter; to glisten.
- To be briefly but strongly apparent.
- (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
to shine, glitter, or glisten
[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 3.0, Princeton University, 2006.