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gleam

(glēm)

1. A brief beam or flash of light: saw gleams of daylight through the cracks.

2. A steady but subdued shining; a glow: the gleam of burnished gold.

3. A brief or dim indication; a trace: a gleam of intelligence.

intr.v. gleamed, gleam·ing, gleams

1. To emit a gleam; flash or glow: "Their tile roofs gleamed in the moon's pallid radiance" (Laura Joh Rowland). See Synonyms at flash.

2. To be reflected as a gleam: The sun gleamed on the water.

3. To be manifested or indicated briefly or faintly.

[Middle English glem, from Old English glǣm; see ghel-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

gleamer n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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