I. gleam 1 /ɡliːm/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
1 . to shine softly SYN glimmer :
His teeth gleamed under his moustache.
gleam with
The wooden panelling was gleaming with wax polish.
2 . if your eyes or face gleam with a feeling, they show it SYN glint
gleam with
He laughed, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
—gleaming adjective :
gleaming white walls
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THESAURUS
■ to shine by reflecting light
▪ sparkle/glitter if something sparkles, it shines with many small bright points when light is on it:
The sea sparkled in the sunlight.
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Jewels glittered around her neck.
▪ gleam to shine by reflecting the light – used especially about smooth clean surfaces, or about someone’s eyes or teeth:
The sword’s blade gleamed.
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a gleaming sports car
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His blue eyes gleamed with amusement.
▪ glint to shine with quick flashes of light:
The knife glinted in the sunlight.
▪ glisten literary to shine – used about wet or oily surfaces. Used especially when saying that someone’s eyes are full of tears, or someone’s skin is covered in sweat:
As they were leaving, her eyes glistened with tears.
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His forehead was glistening with sweat.
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The wet chairs glistened in the afternoon sun.
▪ catch the light if something catches the light, it shines because it is reflecting light:
Her diamond ring caught the light.
II. gleam 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: glæm ]
1 . a small pale light, especially one that shines for a short time SYN glimmer
gleam of
They saw a sudden gleam of light.
2 . the brightness of something that shines SYN glint
gleam of
the gleam of gold and diamonds
3 . an emotion or expression that appears for a moment on someone’s face
gleam of
She saw a gleam of amusement in his eyes.
Rose looked at me with a furious gleam in her eyes.
4 . something is a gleam in sb’s eye used to say that something is being planned or thought about, but does not yet exist:
In those days, CD-ROMs were still just a gleam in the eye of some young engineer.