scintillate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb give off
    • the substance scintillated sparks and flashes
  2. verb reflect brightly
    sparkle; coruscate.
    • Unquarried marble sparkled on the hillside
  3. verb emit or reflect light in a flickering manner
    winkle; twinkle.
    • Does a constellation twinkle more brightly than a single star?
  4. verb physics: fluoresce momentarily when struck by a charged particle or high-energy photon
    • the phosphor fluoresced
  5. verb be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity
    sparkle; coruscate.
    • The musical performance sparkled
    • A scintillating conversation
    • his playing coruscated throughout the concert hall

WordNet

Scin"til*late intransitive verb
Etymology
L. scintillare, scintillatum, from scintilla a spark. Cf. Stencil.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Scintillated ; present participle & verbal noun Scintillating
Definitions
  1. To emit sparks, or fine igneous particles.
    As the electrical globe only scintillates when rubbed against its cushion. Sir W. Scott.
  2. To sparkle, as the fixed stars.

Webster 1913