Adjacent Words

Gleam definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GLEAM, n. [L. flamma.] The radical sense is to throw, to shoot or dart, and it may be of the same family as clamo,clamor, a shoot of the voice.
1. A shoot of light; a beam; a ray; a small stream of light. A gleam of dawning light, metaphorically, a gleam of hope.
2. Brightness; splendor.
In the clear azure gleam the flocks are seen.
GLEAM, v.i. To shoot or dart, as rays of light. At the dawn light gleams in the east.
1. To shine; to cast light.
2. To flash; to spread a flood of light. [Less common.]
3. Among falconers, to disgorge filth, as a hawk.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an appearance of reflected light [syn: gleam, gleaming, glow, lambency]
2: a flash of light (especially reflected light) [syn: gleam, gleaming, glimmer] v
1: be shiny, as if wet; "His eyes were glistening" [syn: glitter, glisten, glint, gleam, shine]
2: shine brightly, like a star or a light [syn: gleam, glimmer]
3: appear briefly; "A terrible thought gleamed in her mind"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English gleem, from Old English gl?m; akin to Old English geolu yellow — more at yellow Date: 15th century 1. a. a transient appearance of subdued or partly obscured light <the gleam of dawn in the east> b. (1) a small bright light <the gleam of a match> (2) glint <a gleam in his eyes> 2. a brief or faint appearance <a gleam of hope> • gleamy adjective II. verb Date: 1508 intransitive verb 1. to shine with or as if with subdued steady light or moderate brightness 2. to appear briefly or faintly <a light gleamed in the distance> transitive verb to cause to gleam Synonyms: see flash

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a faint or brief light (a gleam of sunlight). 2 a faint, sudden, intermittent, or temporary show (not a gleam of hope). --v.intr. 1 emit gleams. 2 shine with a faint or intermittent brightness. 3 (of a quality) be indicated (fear gleamed in his eyes). Derivatives: gleamingly adv. gleamy adj. Etymology: OE glæm: cf. GLIMMER

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gleam Gleam, v. t. To shoot out (flashes of light, etc.). Dying eyes gleamed forth their ashy lights. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gleam Gleam, v. i. [Cf. OE. glem birdlime, glue, phlegm, and E. englaimed.] (Falconry) To disgorge filth, as a hawk.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gleam Gleam, n. [OE. glem, gleam, AS. gl[ae]m, prob. akin to E. glimmer, and perh. to Gr. ? warm, ? to warm. Cf. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gleam 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. Usage: 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(gleams, gleaming, gleamed) 1. If an object or a surface gleams, it reflects light because it is shiny and clean. His black hair gleamed in the sun. ...a gleaming red sports car. VERB: V, V-ing 2. You can refer to the light reflected from something as a gleam. (LITERARY) ...the gleam of the dark river... In the light from the hall, her hair had a golden gleam. N-SING 3. If your eyes gleam, they look bright and show that you are excited or happy. (WRITTEN) = glisten, shine VERB 4. A gleam of something is a faint sign of it. There was a gleam of hope for a peaceful settlement. = glimmer N-COUNT: N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Ray, beam, glance, glimmer, glimmering. 2. Lustre, brightness, splendor, gleaming, flash, flashing, coruscation, glitter, glittering. II. v. n. Glimmer, shine, glitter, sparkle, coruscate, flash, beam, glance.

Moby Thesaurus

beam, burn, coruscation, flare, flash, flicker, glance, glare, glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, glow, hint, indication, inkling, light, look, radiate, ray, scintilla, scintillate, scintillation, shaft, shimmer, shine, spark, sparkle, suggestion, trace, twinkle, vestige