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glis·ten

(glĭsən)

intr.v. glis·tened, glis·ten·ing, glis·tens

1. To shine by reflection with a sparkling luster: "Sweat ... trickled in streams down his face and glistened in his beard" (Lois Lowry). See Synonyms at flash.

2. To be reflected with a sparkling luster: "The sun glistened upon his hair" (Robert Louis Stevenson).

A sparkling, lustrous shine.

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

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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