GLEAM

gleam, gleaming, glow, lambency

(noun) an appearance of reflected light

gleam, gleaming, glimmer

(noun) a flash of light (especially reflected light)

gleam

(verb) appear briefly; “A terrible thought gleamed in her mind”

gleam, glimmer

(verb) shine brightly, like a star or a light

glitter, glisten, glint, gleam, shine

(verb) be shiny, as if wet; “His eyes were glistening”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

gleam (plural gleams)

a small or indistinct shaft or stream of light.

a glimpse or hint; an indistinct sign of something.

brightness or shininess; splendor.

Synonyms

• (small shaft or stream of light): beam, ray

• (glimpse or indistinct sign): flicker, glimmer, trace

• (brightness or splendor): dazzle, lambency, shine

Verb

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

To shine; to glitter; to glisten.

To be briefly but strongly apparent.

(obsolete, falconry) To disgorge filth, as a hawk.

Synonyms

• (to shine, glitter, or glisten) glint, sparkle

• (to radiate or emanate) glow, shine

• (to be briefly but strongly apparent) flare, flash, kindle

Anagrams

• Gamel, megal-

Source: Wiktionary

Gleam, v. i. Etym: [Cf. OE. glem birdlime, glue, phlegm, and E. englaimed.] (Falconry)

Definition: To disgorge filth, as a hawk.

Gleam, n. Etym: [OE. glem, gleam, AS. glæm, prob. akin to E. glimmer, and perh. to Gr. Glitter.]

1. A shoot of light; a small stream of light; a beam; a ray; a glimpse. Transient unexpected gleams of joi. Addison. At last a gleam Of dawning light turned thitherward in haste His [Satan's] traveled steps. Milton. A glimmer, and then a gleam of light. Longfellow.

2. Brightness; splendor. In the clear azure gleam the flocks are seen. Pope.

Gleam, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gleamed; p. pr. & vb. n. Gleaming.]

1. To shoot, or dart, as rays of light; as, at the dawn, light gleams in the east.

2. To shine; to cast light; to glitter.

Syn.

– To Gleam, Glimmer, Glitter. To gleam denotes a faint but distinct emission of light. To glimmer describes an indistinct and unsteady giving of light. To glitter imports a brightness that is intense, but varying. The morning light gleams upon the earth; a distant taper glimmers through the mist; a dewdrop glitters in the sun. See Flash.

Gleam, v. t.

Definition: To shoot out (flashes of light, etc.). Dying eyes gleamed forth their ashy lights. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition