I. ˈglō verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English glowen, from Old English glōwan; akin to Old High German gluoen to glow, Old Norse glōa to glow, Old English geolu yellow, and perhaps to Greek chloos green, light green, light green color — more at yellow
intransitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to be or become hot to the point of radiating a suffused often slowly and unevenly pulsating light and an intense flameless heat : become heated to red heat or white heat : be or become incandescent
heated the metal until it glowed
coals still glowing in the fireplace
(2) : to shine with a suffused radiance as if intensely heated : emit or become lit up with an incandescent light : gleam in a suffused manner
gaily lighted houses glowed in the dark
her eyes glowed with pleasure
saw the harbor lights glowing in the distance
b.
(1) : to have a rich warm suffused coloration typically reddish in hue or touched by reddish highlights
his troubled face glowing in the firelight — Guy McCrone
paintings that glowed with color
the leaves of the maple trees glowed red and yellow in the sunlight — J.P.Marquand
(2) : to have a radiant warm typically ruddy coloration of the kind associated with youthfulness and physical well-being
cheeks glowing with health
(3) : to have a markedly heightened reddish coloration (as that arising from strong emotion or embarrassment) : flush , blush
she was filled with excitement and her face glowed
2.
a.
(1) : to experience a sensation of tingling pervasive warmth
rubbed themselves with Turkish towels until they glowed all over
a drink that makes the whole body glow
(2) : to experience a sensation as if of intense heat : burn with emotion or passion
glowing with rage and resentment
glowing with fervor
b. : to be full of or show exuberance, elation, joyous good spirits
glowing with maternal pride — Carleton Beals
: be buoyant and vibrantly alive
every page of the book glows with good humor
transitive verb
obsolete : to cause to glow
fans whose wind did seem to glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool — Shakespeare
Synonyms: see blaze
II. noun
( -s )
1. : the quality or state of having a glowing coloration
the rich glow of the mahogany table
the bright glow in her cheeks
2.
a.
(1) : considerable warmth of feeling or intensity of emotion or passion
the glow of new love
(2) : tingling pervasive warmth or a sensation of such warmth
a glow of happiness
walked away satisfied and all in a glow
they started pouring the stuff down steadily, feeling the warm glow rising inside — D.M.Davin
b. : a feeling or outward display of exuberance, elation, joyous good spirits
the good news left them with a glow in their hearts
there was no mistaking the happy glow on his face
the glow of success
3.
a. : the state of glowing with heat and light
the glow of dying embers
: incandescence ; specifically : a relatively faint luminosity due to luminescence
the cathode glow in a Crookes tube
— compare afterglow 2
b. : glowing radiance : suffused gleaming
happy to see the glow in her eyes
the glow of the lighted Christmas tree