glead (2)

[GLEED) gleam, s . [A. S. glæm, glæm; cogn. with O. S. glimo brightne ; O. H. Ger. glimo =aglow-worm; allied to glow and glimmer .] 1. A flash or shoot of light; a gleam, a ray; a little stream of light; brightne , splendor, luster. "For this in Autumn searched the blooming waste, Nor lost one sunny gleam ? for this sad fate?" Thomson: Autumn, 1,187. chin, bench; go, gem; thin, this; glean 2. A short or sudden glimpse or sight; a ray. Crabb thus discriminates between gleam , glim mer, ray , and beam : "Certain portions of light are designated by these terms, but the gleam and glim mer are indefinite: the ray and beam are definite. The gleam is properly the commencement of light, or that portion of opening light which interrupts the darkne ; the glimmer is an unsteady gleam : ray and beam are portions of light which emanate from some luminous body: the former from all luminous bodies in general, the latter more partionlarly from the sun. Gleam and ray may be applied figuratively; beam only in the natural sense. a gleam of light may break in on the benighted understanding, but a glimmer of light rather confuses." (Crabb: Eng. Synon.)