gleam
- a flash or beam of light: the gleam of a lantern in the dark.
- a dim or subdued light.
- a brief or slight manifestation or occurrence; trace: a gleam of hope.
- to send forth a gleam or gleams.
- to appear suddenly and clearly like a flash of light.
Origin of gleam
Synonyms for gleam
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for gleaming
glassy, glistening, sleek, bright, lustrous, glazed, polished, shiny, shining, burnished, smooth, slick, reflecting, brilliant, silken, silkyExamples from the Web for gleaming
Contemporary Examples of gleaming
Nothing does it quite like deftly decapitating a bottle of bubbly with a gleaming blade.
But then, like a scene in a horror movie, she will wake as though someone were coming at her with a gleaming knife.
I jammed my thumb into my mouth and almost choked on it while the screen lit up with sunny skies on a gleaming lake.
She found out on her first day on the job in 1941, when confronted with two bodies laid out on gleaming white porcelain tables.
Caroline and John Jr. took great interest in the gleaming dirk.
Historical Examples of gleaming
A light not of this world is gleaming there; and it has grown brighter and clearer since we parted.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
They see no gleaming roofs and high-lifted statues and joyful games.
Buried Cities, Part 2Jennie Hall
But to-night some gleaming wave from a greater sea had lifted them, and borne them on.
Meadow GrassAlice Brown
Some five thousand feet up in the night was a gleaming ship.
The walls beyond them were of metal, white and gleaming; there were doorways.
gleam
- a small beam or glow of light, esp reflected light
- a brief or dim indicationa gleam of hope
- to send forth or reflect a beam of light
- to appear, esp brieflyintelligence gleamed in his eyes
Word Origin for gleam
Word Origin and History for gleaming
gleam
early 13c., from gleam (n). Related: Gleamed; gleaming.
gleam
Old English glæm "brilliant light; brightness, splendor, radiance," from Proto-Germanic *glaimiz (cf. Old Saxon glimo "brightness;" Middle High German glim "spark," gleime "glowworm;" German glimmen "to glimmer, glow;" Old Norse glija "to shine, glitter"), from root *glim-, from PIE *ghel- "to shine, glitter, glow" (see glass).