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glimmer

noun

  1. act of shining faintly or intermittently
L321274 on Wikidata ↗

verb

  1. give off glimmering lights
L331835 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈɡlɪməː/ / [ˈɡlɪməː] / /ˈɡlɪmɚ/

noun

Etymology: From Middle English glimeren, glemeren (“to glimmer”), equivalent to glim (“to shine”) + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with German Low German glimmern (“to glimmer”), German glimmern (“to glimmer”), Danish glimre (“to glimmer”), Swedish glimra (“to glimmer”). Doublet of glimpse. Sense 5 was coined in the 2020s in analogy to trigger.

  1. A faint light; a dim glow.

    The glimmer of the fireflies was pleasant to watch.

  2. A flash of light.
  3. A faint or remote possibility (as it were a flash of light).

    After all, Harmony Korine has no more than a glimmer of talent.

  4. Mica.
  5. A subtle, positive micromoment that evokes feelings of joy, safety, calm, or connection.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English glimeren, glemeren (“to glimmer”), equivalent to glim (“to shine”) + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with German Low German glimmern (“to glimmer”), German glimmern (“to glimmer”), Danish glimre (“to glimmer”), Swedish glimra (“to glimmer”). Doublet of glimpse. Sense 5 was coined in the 2020s in analogy to trigger.

  1. To shine with a faint, unsteady light.

    the glimmering dawn    a glimmering lamp

    The fireflies glimmered in the dark.

glimmer — meaning, definition (noun, verb) · Vinony