GLITTER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does glitter mean? 

• GLITTER (noun)
  The noun GLITTER has 2 senses:

1. the quality of shining with a bright reflected light

2. the occurrence of a small flash or spark

  Familiarity information: GLITTER used as a noun is rare.

• GLITTER (verb)
  The verb GLITTER has 1 sense:

1. be shiny, as if wet

  Familiarity information: GLITTER used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GLITTER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The quality of shining with a bright reflected light

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

glisten; glister; glitter; scintillation; sparkle

Hypernyms ("glitter" is a kind of...):

brightness (the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white)

Derivation:

glitter (be shiny, as if wet)

glittery (having brief brilliant points or flashes of light)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The occurrence of a small flash or spark

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

coruscation; glitter; sparkle

Hypernyms ("glitter" is a kind of...):

flash (a sudden intense burst of radiant energy)

Derivation:

glittery (having brief brilliant points or flashes of light)

• GLITTER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they glitter    ... he / she / it glitters   
Past simple: glittered   
Past participle: glittered   
-ing form: glittering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be shiny, as if wet

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

gleam; glint; glisten; glitter; shine

Context example:

His eyes were glistening

Hypernyms (to "glitter" is one way to...):

appear; look; seem (give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "glitter"):

spangle (glitter as if covered with spangles)

shimmer (give off a shimmering reflection, as of silk)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence examples:

Lights glitter on the horizon
The horizon is glittering with lights

Derivation:

glitter (the quality of shining with a bright reflected light)

 Context examples 

I associated that instrument with the single weakness of his nature, and I feared the worst when I saw it glittering in his hand.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There will be two reasons that the end of February will glitter so brightly for you.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

His brows were drawn into two hard black lines, while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He watched Hans and Edith with glittering eyes, but made no attempt to speak.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

When I came to Renfield's room I found him lying on the floor on his left side in a glittering pool of blood.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Their icy and glittering peaks shone in the sunlight over the clouds.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The diamonds glittered so on all sides that they were delighted with the sight and picked up the finest.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Wolf Larsen was watching him, waiting for him, the steely glitter in his eyes; but Smoke closed his mouth again without having said anything.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

See to the whirl and glitter of it!

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He took a pill-box from his pocket, and spilled out of it a beautiful glittering diamond, one of the finest stones that I have ever seen.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)