glimmer

English

Etymology

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪmə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪmɚ/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɪmə(ɹ)

Noun

glimmer (countable and uncountable, plural glimmers)

1. A faint light; a dim glow.

   The glimmer of the fireflies was pleasant to watch.

2. A flash of light.
3. A faint or remote possibility.

   a glimmer of hope

4. (dated, uncountable) Mica.

Synonyms

• (flash of light): sparkle, shimmer

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

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

1. (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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.

Synonyms

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

Translations

Icelandic

Etymology

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

Noun

glimmer n

1. glitter (small decorative shiny particles)
2. (mineralogy) mica

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

glimmer

Wikipedia ^no

Etymology

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

Noun

glimmer m (definite singular glimmeren, uncountable)

1. (literary and formal) magnificence, glitter, tinsel, something that shines

   Rikdommens glimmer

   The tinsel of wealth

2. mica

   Glimmer er et mineral som lett spaltes i tynne flak.

   Mica is a mineral that easily separates into thin leaves.

Synonyms

• (sense 1) glans, prakt, herlighet
• (sense 2) kråkesølv, mica, mikanitt

Derived terms

• glimmerskifer
• Lys glimmer = white mica (literally: "bright mica")

References

• “glimmer” in The Ordnett Dictionary
• “glimmer” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:

glimmer

Wikipedia ⁿⁿ

Etymology

Derived from glimre (“glitter, glisten, sparkle”), with influence from English. The definition is from German Glimmer.

Noun

glimmer m (definite singular glimmeren, uncountable)

1. mica

   Glimmer er eit mineral som lett spaltast i tynne flak.

   Mica is a mineral that easily separates into thin leaves.

Synonyms

• kråkesølv, mica, mikanitt

Derived terms

• glimmerskifer
• Lys glimmer = white mica (literally: "bright mica")

References

• “glimmer” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from German Glimmer.

Noun

glimmer c

1. (mineralogy) mica

Declension

Etymology 2

Deverbal from glimra.

Noun

glimmer n

1. (rare) shine, gloss, sheen, radiance

   Synonyms: glans, skimmer

Declension

References

• glimmer in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• glimmer in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• glimmer in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• glimra in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)