shine Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
    effulgence; radiance; refulgency; refulgence; radiancy.
  2. verb be bright by reflecting or casting light
    reflect.
    • Drive carefully--the wet road reflects
  3. verb emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light
    beam.
    • The sun shone bright that day
    • The fire beamed on their faces
  4. verb be shiny, as if wet
    glint; glitter; glisten; gleam.
    • His eyes were glistening
  5. verb be distinguished or eminent
    • His talent shines
  6. verb be clear and obvious
    • A shining example
  7. verb have a complexion with a strong bright color, such as red or pink
    beam; radiate; glow.
    • Her face glowed when she came out of the sauna
  8. verb throw or flash the light of (a lamp)
    • Shine the light on that window, please
  9. verb touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly
    strike; fall.
    • Light fell on her face
    • The sun shone on the fields
    • The light struck the golden necklace
    • A strange sound struck my ears
  10. verb experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion
    beam; radiate; glow.
    • She was beaming with joy
    • Her face radiated with happiness
  11. verb make (a surface) shine
    polish; smooth; smoothen.
    • shine the silver, please
    • polish my shoes

WordNet

Shine intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. shinen, schinen, AS. scinan; akin to D. schijnen, OFries. skina, OS. & OHG. scinan, G. scheinen, Icel.skina, Sw. skina, Dan. skinne, Goth. skeinan, and perh. to Gr. shadow. Cf. Sheer pure, and Shimmer.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Shone (archaic Shined ); present participle & verbal noun Shining
Definitions
  1. To emit rays of light; to give light; to beam with steady radiance; to exhibit brightness or splendor; as, the sun shines by day; the moon shines by night.
    Hyperion's quickening fire doth shine. Shak.
    God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Cghrist. 2 Cor. iv. 6.
    Let thine eyes shine forth in their full luster. Denham.
  2. To be bright by reflection of light; to gleam; to be glossy; as, to shine like polished silver.
  3. To be effulgent in splendor or beauty. "So proud she shined in her princely state." Spenser.
    Once brightest shined this child of heat and air. Pope.
  4. To be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished; to exhibit brilliant intellectual powers; as, to shine in courts; to shine in conversation.
    Few are qualified to shine in company; but it in most men's power to be agreeable. Swift.
    Num. vi. 25.
Shine transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To cause to shine, as a light. Obs.
    He [God] doth not rain wealth, nor shine honor and virtues, upon men equally. Bacon.
  2. To make bright; to cause to shine by reflected light; as, in hunting, to shine the eyes of a deer at night by throwing a light on them. U. S. Bartlett.
Shine noun
Definitions
  1. The quality or state of shining; brightness; luster, gloss; polish; sheen.
    Now sits not girt with taper's holy shine. Milton.
    Fair opening to some court's propitious shine. Pope.
    The distant shine of the celestial city. Hawthorne.
  2. Sunshine; fair weather.
    Be it fair or foul, or rain or shine. Dryden.
  3. A liking for a person; a fancy. Slang, U.S.
  4. Caper; antic; row. Slang
Shine adjective
Etymology
AS. scin. See Shine, v. i.
Definitions
  1. Shining; sheen. Obs. Spenser.

Webster 1913