Glistere

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Archaic term meaning to shine with a bright, sparkling light, as wet or polished surfaces do
2. Old word for giving off a glittering gleam, like sunlight on water or frost on grass
3. To glow or flash with a brilliant, twinkling brightness, much as jewels or dew catch the light

Etymology: Spelled "glistere" with a final -e, this is a Middle English form of the verb now usually written "glister," meaning to shine with a sparkling, wet or metallic light. Its ancestry runs back to the Old English verb "glisian," which meant much the same thing and likely shares a root with the Germanic words behind "glisten." The two verbs have been near-relatives in English for centuries, and the closeness of their forms and senses suggests they grew from the same imitative stem for brightness. The sense has narrowed over time. Medieval writers used "glister" for almost any bright surface, including fire, gold and sunlight, but modern English keeps it mainly as an archaic or regional word, while "glisten" became the common choice. The -er ending was common in English verbs of repeated or continuing action, which fits the flickering quality of light the word describes.