▪ I. gleam, n.
(gliːm)
Forms: 1 glǽm, 3–4 glem, 4–6 gleme, 6–7 gleame, 3, 7– gleam.
[OE. glǽm (:—*glaimi-z) is related by ablaut to OHG. glîmen to glow, shine, OS. glîmo brightness, OHG. glîmo (MHG. glîme) glow-worm, in which sense OHG. had also gleimo (MHG. gleime), agreeing in root-grade with the ME. word. The lowest grade of the root, *glim-, appears in several forms in MHG. and ME.: see glim, glimmer, glimpse.]
1. In early use, a brilliant light (e.g. of the sun). In mod. use, a subdued or transient appearance of light, emitted or reflected.
In ME. both n. and vb. are rare except in alliterative verse.
| a 1000 Guthlac 1278 in Exeter Bk., Þa se æþela glæm setl-gong sohte. a 1225 St. Marher. 12 Semde as þah ha sehe iþe glistinde glem þe deore rode areachen to þe heouene. c 1300 Havelok 2122 So stod ut of his mouth a glem Rith al swilk so the sunnebem. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 604 Þat al [the harness] glytered & glent as glem of þe sunne. c 1400 Destr. Troy 3067 A necke..glissonand as the glemes þat glenttes of þe snaw. c 1440 York Myst. xxxii. 20 And myne eyne þei glittir like þe gleme in þe glasse. 1508 Dunbar Gold. Targe 31 All the lake as lamp did leme of licht, Quhilk schadovit all about wyth twynkling glemis. 1602 Marston Ant. & Mel. iii. Wks. 1856 I. 30 Is not yon gleame, the shuddering morne that flakes, With silver tinctur, the east vierge of heaven? 1665 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1677) 30 A gleam of light, so bright that he could easily read by it. 1762 Goldsm. Cit. W. cxvii, The dying lamp feebly emits a yellow gleam. 1805 Wordsw. Peele Castle iv, If mine had been the Painter's hand, To express what then I saw: and add the gleam, The light that never was, on sea or land. 1838 Lytton Leila iv. i, See you not a gleam of spears, yonder, over the mountain? 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xxiii. 162 When the staff was dug into the snow and withdrawn, the blue gleam appeared. 186. B. Harte John Burns 99 The gleam of his old white hat from afar. |
| Comb. 1804 J. Grahame Sabbath (1808) 39 Forward the gleam-girt castle coastwise glides. |
b. fig. A bright or vivid manifestation (of some quality, etc.); in mod. use chiefly with the notion of limitation, a faint, transient, or intermittent appearance.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 50 Þat te soðe sunne, þat is Jesu Crist, haueð wiðuten..unseauliche imaked ou þurh gleames of his grace. a 1547 Surrey Prisoned in Windsor in Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 13 The palme play, where..With dazed eies oft we by gleames of loue Haue mist the ball. 1576 Gascoigne Philomene (Arb.) 96 He..still behelde her gestures all, And all her gleames of grace. a 1711 Ken Psyche Poet. Wks. 1721 IV. 250 When first my Heart, thou Lord, didst melt, And of thy Love one Gleam I felt. 1793 Holcroft Lavater's Physiog. xxvi. 127 A gleam of sympathy and resemblance may easily deceive thee. 1840 F. D. Bennett Whaling Voy. I. 75 Her smile..casts at once a gleam of beauty over otherwise but ordinary features. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xii. III. 228 On the fifteenth of June a gleam of hope appeared. 1874 L. Stephen Hours in Library (1892) II. ii. 36 One temporary gleam of good fortune cheered him for a time. 1885 Spectator 30 May 716/1 Now and then..we get an occasional gleam of humour. |
† c. hot gleam (also gleam simply), a warm ray (of the sun); a bright warm interval between rain-showers. Also, a hot wind (cf. gloom n.1). Obs.
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 33 The middle of the earth, whereas the Sun hath his way..is euen parched and fried againe with the hot gleames thereof. 1669 Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 188 If the weather be warm and calm, the Bees delight to rise, but especially in a hot Gleam, after a Showre or Gloomy Cloud hath sent them home. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1729) I. 530 We felt a brisk Gale..so violent hot, that we thought it came from some burning Mountain..Just such another Gleam I felt one afternoon also. |
† 2. transf. Brightness, radiance; radiant beauty.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 1017 (Gr.) Heo þe hroðra oftihð, glæmes grene folde. a 1000 Juliana 167 in Exeter Bk., Min se swetesta sunnan scima, Iuliana, hwæt þu glæm hafast..geoguðhades blæd. c 1250 Meid Maregrete xxxii, On þe holi meidan he sende litt ant glem. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 218 Þaȝ þe feloun [Lucifer] were so fers for his fayre wedeȝ & his glorious glem þat glent so bryȝt. 1591 Spenser Vision Bellay v, Then was the faire Dodonian tree far seene, Upon seaven hills to spred his gladsome gleame. 1683 Tryon Way to Health 36 The white clear bright Gleam in every Creature..does arise and proceed from the divine Principle. |
b. A bright or joyous look.
| 1769 Sir W. Jones Poems & Ess., Pal. Fort. (1777) 15 O'er his smooth cheeks diffus'd a lively gleam. 1852 Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. vi, His black visage lighted up with a curious, mischievous gleam. |
▪ II. gleam, v.1
(gliːm)
Also 4–6 gleme.
[f. prec.]
1. intr. To emit gleams, to shine either with emitted or reflected light; in mod. use chiefly, to shine with a brightness subdued by distance or an intervening medium.
| a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1653 Al þat terin is glistinde & gleaminde, as hit were seoluer oðer gold smeate. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 597 A sadel þat glemed ful gayly with mony golde frenges. c 1400 Destr. Troy 3943 Faire Ene hade þe freike..Glemyt as þe glasse and gliet a little. 1508 Dunbar Tua mariit wemen 20 So glitterit as the gold wer thair glorius gilt tressis, Quhill all the gressis did gleme of the glaid hewis. c 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxvii. 20 Forcit fyris with gritter gleidis out glemis. 1700 Dryden Cymon & Iph. 588 The palace gleams with shining swords. 1792 S. Rogers Pleas. Mem. i. 316 When not a distant taper's twinkling ray Gleamed o'er the furze to light him on his way. 1813 Scott Rokeby vi. x, Torches and cressets gleam'd around. 1842 Lytton Zanoni 28 There gleam the columns of Capua. 1859 Kingsley Misc. (1860) II. 247 Keen, honest eyes gleamed out from his brown, scarred weather-beaten face. 1878 Browning La Saisiaz 10 What will be the morning glory, when at dusk thus gleams the lake? |
| fig. 1815 Hortensia ii. iii, A forc'd smile gleam'd faintly o'er her visage. 1867 Trollope Chron. Barset I. xiii. 109 Standing upright..with something of a noble anger gleaming over his poor wan face. 1874 Green Short Hist. vii. §2. 358 Even the commonest lives gleamed for a moment into poetry at the stake. 1878 C. Stanford Symb. Christ i. 10 Some hints of the reasons for the deep veneration in which he was held gleam in almost every line. |
b. quasi-trans., esp. with advs.
| 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 1378 Dying eyes gleem'd forth their ashie lights. 1796 M. Robinson Angelina III. 28 Tapers, faintly pale, gleaming blue light upon the altar, then suddenly disappearing! 1818 Milman Samor. 52 The northern clouds..Stream in their restless wavings to and fro, While the sea billows gleam them mellower back. |
| fig. 1802 H. Martin Helen of Glenross IV. 259 She lies still, except in the movements of convulsions, that recur as often as thought gleams a recollection of her miseries. |
† 2. To glance, look. Obs. rare.
| 1340–70 Alisaunder 505 Nectanabus..nyed hym tyll And gleming gainelich too þe gome saide. 1508 Dunbar Tua mariit wemen 228, I cast on him a crabbit E..And lettis it is a luf-blenk, quhene he about glemys. |
▪ III. gleam, v.2 Falconry. ? Obs.
[Later form of gleim v.]
(See quot. 1704.)
| 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie 103 And when shee hath caste, then hoode hir agayne gyving hir nothing to feede on untill she gleame after hir casting. 1704 Worlidge Dict. Rust. s.v., When a Hawk casteth, she gleams; that is throws up Filth from her Gorge. |
So gleam n. (see quot.).
| 1891 Harting Bibl. Accipitr. 223 Gleam, the substance thrown up after casting gorge. |