glitter
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English gliteren, from Old Norse glitra, from Proto-Germanic *glitrōną (“to glitter”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley-.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
glitter (countable and uncountable, plural glitters)
- A bright, sparkling light; shininess or brilliance.
- 1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, volume III, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, chapter 57:
- As yet there had been no symptom of the news having any better foundation than in the fears of those who brought it, but The Boot had not been deserted five minutes, when there appeared, coming across the fields, a body of men who, it was easy to see, by the glitter of their arms and ornaments in the sun, and by their orderly and regular mode of advancing.
- 1913, Mary Averill, Japanese flower arrangement, Chapter 20:
- This to them seems most like mother earth in color, and therefore best, as it is, to enhance the beauty of flowers instead of detracting from their exquisite shades. What a contrast to the glitter and show of our silver vases, which represent generally little else but their cost.
- A shiny, decorative adornment, sometimes sprinkled on glue to make simple artwork.
- (figurative) Glitz.
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
Translations edit
bright, sparkling light; brilliant and showy luster; brilliancy
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shiny, decoractive adornment
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Verb edit
glitter (third-person singular simple present glitters, present participle glittering, simple past and past participle glittered)
- To sparkle with light; to shine with a brilliant and broken light or showy luster; to gleam.
- a glittering sword
- the glittering ornaments on a Christmas tree
- 1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
- The field yet glitters with the pomp of war.
- To be showy, specious, or striking, and hence attractive.
- the glittering scenes of a court
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
to sparkle with light
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to be showy, specious, or striking, and hence attractive
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Portuguese edit
Etymology edit
Unadapted borrowing from English glitter.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
glitter m (uncountable)
- glitter (shiny, decorative dust)
Spanish edit
Etymology edit
Unadapted borrowing from English glitter.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
glitter m (plural glitteres)
Usage notes edit
According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.
Swedish edit
Etymology edit
Probably from Old Norse glitra.
Noun edit
glitter n (uncountable)
- glitter (glittering)
- glitter (a shiny, decorative adornment, sometimes sprinkled on glue)
- tinsel (shiny foil, often strung on a thread)
- julgransglitter
- tinsel garlands put on a Christmas tree
Declension edit
| Declension of glitter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncountable | ||||
| Indefinite | Definite | |||
| Nominative | glitter | glittret | — | — |
| Genitive | glitters | glittrets | — | — |