scintillate, v.
(ˈsɪntɪleɪt)
[f. L. scintillāt-, ppl. stem of scintillāre, f. scintilla. Cf. F. scintiller (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).]
1. a. intr. To send forth sparks or little flashes of light; to sparkle, twinkle.
| 1623 Cockeram 1, Scintillate, to sparkle or leape vp. 1789 Maskelyne in Phil. Trans. LXXIX. 262 They appear to cast out rays of a determinate figure,..and to scintillate a little, if the air be not very clear. 1824 Galt Rothelan I. ii. ix. 226 Now and then the glancing of armour scintillated out from the grey. 1840 Barham Ingol. Leg., Lady Rohesia, Her eyes..scintillating like flint and steel. 1869 Dunkin Midnight Sky 191 The latter [planets] have been known to scintillate more or less. 1894 F. M. Elliot Roman Gossip xv. 319 Her dark eyes scintillating with fury. |
b. fig.
| 1864 Reader 23 Apr. 515 A work scintillating throughout with wit and humour. 1899 E. T. Fowler Double Thread vii. 93 My wit is all of the p.m. variety, and never scintillates in the morning. |
c. intr. Nucl. Physics. Of a phosphor: to fluoresce momentarily when struck by a charged particle or high-energy photon.
| 1958 O. R. Frisch Nuclear Handbk. xiv. 20 The recent discovery that some gases scintillate will undoubtedly have many future applications. 1966 McGraw–Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. XII. 76/1 The liquid organic solvent scintillates satisfactorily. 1971 Sci. Amer. June 61/2 The box was..provided with a zinc sulfide screen that would scintillate when it was struck by an alpha particle. |
2. trans. To emit as a spark or sparks; to send forth (sparkles of light); to flash forth.
| 1809 W. Irving Knickerb. i. ii. (1820) 46 That this globe was originally a globe of liquid fire, scintillated from the body of the sun, by the percussion of a comet. a 1864 N. Hawthorne Mother Rigby's Pipe ii, The star on Feather⁓top's breast had scintillated actual flames. 1866 Pall Mall Gaz. 13 Oct. 1 A little too much given to scintillate bitter epigram. |
3. pass. To be ornamented with bright specks.
| 1851 Turner Dom. Archit. II. iii. 87 Painted of a green colour, scintillated or starred with gold. |