15th century. Borrowed from Scots glint, from Middle English glenten (“to shine, gleam; flash”), probably from Old Norse *glenta, from Proto-Germanic *glantijaną, causitive of Proto-Germanic *glintaną (“to gleam, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- (“to shine”). Cognate with Danish glente, Swedish glänta, Norwegian Nynorsk gletta (“to peep, look”), Middle High German glinzen; compare also Swedish glinta (“to slip, slide, gleam, shine”), Swedish glimt (“flash, glint, glimpse”), Norwegian Nynorsk glanta, gletta (“to glide, slip”). Reintroduced into literary English by Robert Burns.
Meanings
(Shropshire, archaic, of a blade) Not sharp; dull.
15th century. Borrowed from Scots glint, from Middle English glenten (“to shine, gleam; flash”), probably from Old Norse *glenta, from Proto-Germanic *glantijaną, causitive of Proto-Germanic *glintaną (“to gleam, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- (“to shine”). Cognate with Danish glente, Swedish glänta, Norwegian Nynorsk gletta (“to peep, look”), Middle High German glinzen; compare also Swedish glinta (“to slip, slide, gleam, shine”), Swedish glimt (“flash, glint, glimpse”), Norwegian Nynorsk glanta, gletta (“to glide, slip”). Reintroduced into literary English by Robert Burns.
Meanings
A short flash of light, usually when reflected off a shiny surface.
I saw the glint of metal as he raised the gun.
To be plunged straight into the old nut and bolt shop, as was the writer's experience, during a spell of cloudless June Weather was a real hardship, and the mind kept flitting back to the glint of blue water under willow trees and the click of ball on bat on a quiet spacious greensward. 1944 September and October, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—I”, in Railway Magazine, page 283:
(obsolete) A brief look; a glance.
“[…] I also remember the following dialogue in the Suffolk vernacular between a neighbouring farmer and his backus (¹) boy :—‘I sa, Mester?’ ‘ Well, bor.’ (²) ‘If thar ain't Sillett's owd razor-backed hogs broke out agin. That thar owd sarpint of a sow ha' got her snout under the gate, and lifted it off the jimmers, (³) and I ketched a glint (⁴) of the rest on 'em skrigglin' (⁵) thar way through the shruff (⁶) in the hedge holl (⁷) and making another gap right atwin (⁸) the stub-apple (⁹) and the touch-wood (¹⁰) tree, and tha ha' bin' a pamplin' (¹¹) all over the land, and rootin (¹²) up our taters, and not one on 'em ringled (¹³). Mester, I think we'd better pound 'em.'” (¹⁴) 1875, Frederick Clifford, chapter XII, in The Agricultural Lock-out of 1874 […], Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, page 281:
"My name is Elphinstone, ma'am," said the young man, and then he cleared his throat and gave a glint at Mary, and grew redder in the face than ever. 1849, chapter V, in Passages in the Life of Mrs. Margaret Maitland, of Sunnyside. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, page 147:
Are ye the gentleman that’s speering for my hayreens—they’re fresh this morning—cast a glint at them, sir, and you’ll say you neever saw rubies, emeralds, and silver, and gold, sparkle sa boneely as the finny jewels that dazzle ye in this wee basket. c. 1858, Charles Selby, The Bonnie Fish Wife: An Original Musical Interlude in One Act, Lacy's Acting edition, London: Thomas Hailes Lacy, Scene II, page 15:
ga drithle (short flash of light) · uk блиск (short flash of light) · mk сјај (short flash of light) · da glimt (short flash of light) · fi välkähdys (short flash of light) · bg светване (short flash of light) · nb glimt (short flash of light) · ga glioscarnach (short flash of light) · fi välähdys (short flash of light) · ro scânteie (short flash of light) · ckb تروسکە (short flash of light) · el ανταύγεια (short flash of light) · ro sclipire (short flash of light) · bg проблясък (short flash of light) · cs odlesk (short flash of light) · nn glimt (short flash of light) · el σπινθήρισμα (short flash of light) · ga léaró (short flash of light) · cs záblesk (short flash of light) · pl błysk (short flash of light) · uk відблиск (short flash of light) · el μαρμαρυγή (short flash of light) · mk бле́сок (short flash of light) · es brillo (short flash of light) · ru вспы́шка (short flash of light) · de Glitzern (short flash of light)
15th century. Borrowed from Scots glint, from Middle English glenten (“to shine, gleam; flash”), probably from Old Norse *glenta, from Proto-Germanic *glantijaną, causitive of Proto-Germanic *glintaną (“to gleam, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- (“to shine”). Cognate with Danish glente, Swedish glänta, Norwegian Nynorsk gletta (“to peep, look”), Middle High German glinzen; compare also Swedish glinta (“to slip, slide, gleam, shine”), Swedish glimt (“flash, glint, glimpse”), Norwegian Nynorsk glanta, gletta (“to glide, slip”). Reintroduced into literary English by Robert Burns.
Meanings
(intransitive) To flash or gleam briefly.
Thor glared at him [...] what little light there was in the place mustered its forces briefly to glint menacingly off the horns of his helmet. 1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 110:
A wedding ring glinted on her finger.
(intransitive, uncommon) To glance; to peep forth, as a flower from the bud; to glitter.
The rising sun owre Galston muirs, / Wi' glorious light was glintin' 1785, Robert Burns, The Holy Fair:
There was Clavers and six wild dragoons standin’ ranged in a raw, wi’ their muskets in hand, and a form kneelin’ on the grass afore them. I saw the flash o’ the guns, and as I turned to glint at the mangled corpse, oh, mither! 1847 November 6, “Lilly Begg: A Tale of the Times of the Covenant”, in Hogg's Weekly Instructor, volume VI, number 141, page 168, column 1:
(transitive) To cause to flash or gleam; to reflect.
The scientists theorized that a meteoroid, ranging in size from a speck of dust to a marble, might have struck the satellite and chipped off a bit of debris that glinted a ray of sun back on the Vela's second sensor […] 1980, Inquiry Magazine:
(Shropshire, archaic, transitive) To dry; to wither.