Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GLIB, v.t.

1. To castrate. [Qu. to make smooth, glubo, γλυφω.] Shak.
2. To make smooth. Bp. Hal.

GLIB'LY, adv.

Smoothly; volubly; as, to slide glibly; to speak glibly.

GLIB'NESS, n.

1. Smoothness; slipperiness; as, a polished ice-like glibness. Chapman.
2. Volubility of the tongue. Government of the Tongue.

GLIDE, n.

The act or manner of moving smoothly, swiftly and without labor or obstruction. Shak.

GLIDE, v.i. [Sax. glidan; G. gleiten; D. glyden; Dan. glider. Qu. Fr. glisser, in a different dialect. It has the elements of slide, as glib has of slip.]

1. To flow gently; to move without noise or violence; as a river. By east, among the dusty valleys glide / The silver streams of Jordan's crystal flood. Fairfax.
2. To move silently and smoothly; to pass along without apparent effort; as, a hawk or an eagle gliding through the air.
3. To move or pass rapidly and with apparent ease; as, a ship glides through the water.
4. In a general sense, to move or slip along with ease as on a smooth surface, or to pass along rapidly without apparent effort, and without obstruction.

GLID'ER, n.

He or that which glides. Spenser.

GLID'ING, ppr.

Passing along gently and smoothly; moving rapidly, or with ease.

GLID'ING-LY, adv.

In a smooth, flowing, rapid manner.

GLIM'MER, n.

1. A faint light; feeble scattered rays of light.
2. In mineralogy, mica, glist, muscovy-glass; a mineral rarely found in regular crystals. Usually it appears in thin, flexible, elastic lamins, which exhibit a high polish and strong luster. It is an essential ingredient in granite, gneiss, and mica slate. Cleaveland.

GLIM'MER, v.i. [G. glimmen, glimmern, to gleam, to glimmer; D. glimmen; Sw. glimma; Dan. glimrer; Ir. laom, flame.]

1. To shoot feeble or scattered rays of light; as, the glimmering dawn; a glimmering lamp. When rosy morning glimmer'd o'er the dales. Pope. The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day. Shak.
2. To shine faintly; to give a feeble light. Mild evening glimmered on the lawn. Trumbull.

GLIM'MER-ING, n.

1. A faint beaming of light.
2. A faint view.

GLIM'MER-ING, ppr.

Shining faintly; shooting feeble scattered rays of light.

GLIMPSE, n. [glims; D. glimp, from glimmen.]

1. A weak faint light. Such vast room in Nature, / Only to shine, yet scarce to contribute / Each orb a glimpse of light. Milton.
2. A flash of light; as, the lightning's glimpse. Milton.
3. Transient luster. One glimpse of glory to my issue give. Dryden.
4. A short transitory view. He saw at a glimpse the design of the enemy.
5. Short fleeting enjoyment; as, a glimpse of delight. Prior.
6. Exhibition of a faint resemblance. Shak.

GLIMPSE, v.i.

To appear by glimpses. Drayton.

GLIS'SA, n.

A fish of the tunny kind, without scales. Dict. Nat. Hist.

GLIST, n. [from glisten.]

Glimmer; mica. [See Glimmer.]

GLIS'TEN, v.i. [glis'n; Sax. glisnian; G. gleissen. This word and glitter are probably dialectical forms of the same word. In Irish lasadh, lasaim, is to burn, to light; Dan. lyser, Sw. lysa, to shine; Russ. oblistayu. In W. llathru is to make smooth and glossy, to polish, to glitter. Qu. Heb. גלש, to shine, L. glisco, Eng. gloss.]

To shine; to sparkle with light; as, the glistening stars. The ladies' eyes glistened with pleasure. Richardson.

GLIS'TEN-ED, pp.

Shone; sparkled.

GLIS'TEN-ING, ppr.

Shining; sparkling; emitting rays of light.

GLIS'TER, n. [See CLYSTER.]

GLIS'TER, v.i. [See Glisten.]

To shine; to be bright; to sparkle; to be brilliant. All that glisters is not gold. Shak.

GLIS'TER-ING, ppr.

Shining; sparkling with light.

GLIS'TER-ING-LY, adv.

With shining luster.

GLIT'TER, n.

Brightness; brilliancy; splendor; luster; as, the glitter of arms; the glitter of royal equipage; the glitter of dress.

GLIT'TER, v.i. [Sax. glitenan; Sw. glittra. See Glisten.]

1. To shine; to sparkle with light; to gleam; to be splendid; as, a glittering sword. The field yet glitters with the pomp of war. Dryden.
2. To be showy, specious or striking, and hence attractive; as, the glittering scenes of a court.