glimmer

English edit

WOTD – 30 November 2006

Etymology edit

From Middle English glimeren, glemeren (“to glimmer”), equivalent to glim (“to shine”) +‎ -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with German Low German glimmern (“to glimmer”), German glimmern (“to glimmer”), Danish glimre (“to glimmer”), Swedish glimra (“to glimmer”).

Pronunciation edit

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪmə(ɹ)/
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪmɚ/
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (AU) (file)
Rhymes: -ɪmə(ɹ)

Noun edit

glimmer (countable and uncountable, plural glimmers)

A faint light; a dim glow.
The glimmer of the fireflies was pleasant to watch.
A flash of light.
A faint or remote possibility.
a glimmer of hope
(dated, uncountable) Mica.

Synonyms edit

(flash of light): sparkle, shimmer

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

faint light

Bulgarian: мъждукане (bg) n (mǎždukane)
Finnish: pilkahdus (fi), pilke (fi), tuike
French: lueur (fr) f
Gallurese: lucintura ?
Georgian: ციმციმი (cimcimi), ციალი (ciali), გაელვება (gaelveba), კრთომა (ḳrtoma), გამოკრთომა (gamoḳrtoma), ბჟუტვა (bžuṭva), კვესა (ḳvesa), კამკამი (ḳamḳami), კიაფი (ḳiapi)
German: Schimmer (de) m
Icelandic: skíma f
Italian: barlume (it) m, filo (it) m
Maori: hīnātore
Norwegian: skimmer n
Portuguese: vislumbre (pt) m
Russian: мерца́ние (ru) n (mercánije)
Sardinian:
Campidanese: lampaluxi ?

Logudorese: lughighedda ?
Sassarese: luzaredda ?
Spanish: luz tenue f, titileo (es) m
Ukrainian: мерехті́ння n (merextínnja)

flash of light

Bulgarian: проблясък (bg) m (probljasǎk)
Finnish: valonpilkahdus
Irish: léaró m
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: تروسکە (truske)
Norwegian: glimt (no) n
Portuguese: clarão (pt) m

faint or remote possibility

Finnish: valonpilkahdus, väre (fi), kipinä (fi)
French: lueur (fr) f
Italian: barlume (it) m
Norwegian: glimt (no) n, anelse (no) m
Portuguese: vislumbre (pt) m

Verb edit

glimmer (third-person singular simple present glimmers, present participle glimmering, simple past and past participle glimmered)

(intransitive) To shine with a faint, unsteady light.
The fireflies glimmered in the dark.

the glimmering dawn; a glimmering lamp
- c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
  The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.

Synonyms edit

(shine with faint unsteady light): flicker, shimmer, twinkle

Translations edit

to shine with faint unsteady light

Armenian: առկայծել (hy) (aṙkaycel)
Bulgarian: мъждукам (bg) (mǎždukam)
Finnish: tuikkia (fi), kajastaa
French: émettre une lueur
Georgian: ციმციმებს (cimcimebs), იელვებს (ielvebs), კრთის (ḳrtis), კრთება (ḳrteba), ბჟუტავს (bžuṭavs), ციალებს (cialebs), კამკამებს (ḳamḳamebs), კიაფობს (ḳiapobs)
German: glimmern
Hindi: टिमटिमाना (hi) (ṭimṭimānā)
Maori: tīramarama
Norwegian: glimte, skimre, blinke (no)
Portuguese: vislumbrar (pt)
Romanian: scânteia (ro)
Russian: мерца́ть (ru) (mercátʹ)
Swedish: glänsa (sv), glittra (sv), skina (sv), glimma (sv), glimra (sv)
Urdu: ٹمٹمانا (ur) (ṭimṭimānā)

Icelandic edit

Glitter particles

Etymology edit

From Danish glimmer, from glimre (“to glimmer”). Cognate with glimrandi (“splendid”), which is also from Danish. False friend with English glimmer.

Noun edit

glimmer n

glitter (small decorative shiny particles)
(mineralogy) mica

Norwegian Bokmål edit

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

glimmer

Wikipedia ^no

Etymology edit

Derived from glimre (“glitter, glisten, sparkle”). Sense 2 is from German Glimmer. Has also undergone influence from English.

Noun edit

glimmer m (definite singular glimmeren, uncountable)

(literary and formal) magnificence, glitter, tinsel, something that shines
Rikdommens glimmer
The tinsel of wealth
mica
Glimmer er et mineral som lett spaltes i tynne flak.
Mica is a mineral that easily separates into thin leaves.