gleam

1. (countable) An appearance of light, especially one which is indistinct or small, or short-lived.Examples: "Is not yon gleame, the ſhuddering morne that flakes, / VVith ſiluer tinctur, the eaſt vierge of heauen?"; "Sailing between Madagaſcar and Zeyloon (at or Near this place) in a dark night ſuddenly there happened a gleam of light, ſo bright that he could eaſily read by it. Amazed he vvas at this alteration; but at length perceived it vvas occaſioned by a number of Fiſh, vvhoſe glittering ſhells made that artificial light in the night, and gave the Sea a vvhite repercuſſion: […]"; "VVhat a gloom hangs all around! the dying lamp feebly emits a yellovv gleam, no ſound is heard but of the chiming clock, or the diſtant vvatch-dog."Synonyms: leamcountable

2. (countable, figuratively)Examples: "The rescue workers preserved a gleam of optimism that the trapped miners might still survive."; "On the fifteenth of June a gleam of hope appeared."Synonyms: flicker, glimmer, tracecountablefigurativelyuncountable

3. (countable, figuratively)countablefigurativelyuncountable

4. (countable, figuratively)Examples: "[H]is black visage lighted up with a curious, mischievous gleam."; "Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face / Sunny, thank you, thank you for the gleam that flows its grace"countablefigurativelyuncountable

5. (obsolete)Examples: "The Pepper-trees live in Italie; the ſhrub of Caſia or the Canell likevviſe in the Northerly regions; the Frankincenſe tree alſo hath been knovvne to live in Lydia: but vvhere vvere the hote gleames of the Sunne to be found in thoſe regions, either to drie up the vvateriſh humor of the one, or to concot and thicken the gumme and roſin of the other?"; "[W]e felt a brisk gale coming from off the Coaſt of America, but ſo violently hot, that vve thought it came from ſome burning Mountain on the ſhore, and vvas like the heat from the mouth of an Oven. Juſt ſuch another gleam I felt one afternoon alſo, as I lay anchor at the Groin in July 1694. it came vvith a Southerly VVind: both theſe vvere follovved by a Thunder-ſhovver."countableobsolete

6. (obsolete)Examples: "Then vvas the faire Dodonian tree far ſeene, / Vpon ſeauen hills to ſpread his gladſome gleame, / And conquerours bedecked vvith his greene, / Along the bancks of the Auſonian ſtreame: […]"; "In the clear azure gleam the flocks are ſeen, / And floating foreſts paint the vvaves vvith green."Synonyms: dazzle, lambency, shineobsoleteuncountable