gleam Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an appearance of reflected light
    gleaming; lambency; glow.
  2. noun a flash of light (especially reflected light)
    gleaming; glimmer.
  3. verb be shiny, as if wet
    shine; glint; glitter; glisten.
    • His eyes were glistening
  4. verb shine brightly, like a star or a light
    glimmer.
  5. verb appear briefly
    • A terrible thought gleamed in her mind

WordNet

Gleam intransitive verb
Etymology
Cf. OE. glem birdlime, glue, phlegm, and E. englaimed.
Definitions
  1. (Falconry) To disgorge filth, as a hawk.
Gleam noun
Etymology
OE. glem, gleam, AS. glæm, prob. akin to E. glimmer, and perh. to Gr. warm, to warm. Cf. Glitter.
Definitions
  1. A shoot of light; a small stream of light; a beam; a ray; a glimpse.
    Transient unexpected gleams of joi. Addison.
    At last a gleam Of dawning light turned thitherward in haste His [Satan's] traveled steps. Milton.
    A glimmer, and then a gleam of light. Longfellow.
  2. Brightness; splendor.
    In the clear azure gleam the flocks are seen. Pope.
Gleam transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Gleamed ; present participle & verbal noun Gleaming
Definitions
  1. To shoot, or dart, as rays of light; as, at the dawn, light gleams in the east.
  2. To shine; to cast light; to glitter. Syn. -- To Gleam, Glimmer, Glitter. To gleam denotes a faint but distinct emission of light. To glimmer describes an indistinct and unsteady giving of light. To glitter imports a brightness that is intense, but varying. The morning light gleams upon the earth; a distant taper glimmers through the mist; a dewdrop glitters in the sun. See Flash.
Gleam transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To shoot out (flashes of light, etc.).
    Dying eyes gleamed forth their ashy lights. Shak.

Webster 1913