Glitter

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡlɪtə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. Small, shiny particles that reflect light and are used for decoration
2. Shimmering small particles that reflect light brightly and are often employed for ornamental purposes
3. Bright, reflective specks that create a sparkling effect and are commonly utilized in crafts and embellishments

Etymology: Glitter arrived in English from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings, rather than from the Latin or French that supplied so many of our shiny words. Middle English "gliteren" was borrowed from Old Norse "glitra," which shares a Germanic ancestor, Proto-Germanic "*glitrōną," with a sense of shining and glowing. Its roots reach back to a prehistoric Indo-European base, but the word's real story in English runs through Norse speakers who brought it into the language. The sense of the word has stayed close to its origin. Where the Norse verb pointed to light flashing off a surface, English kept that flash and tied it to the small, sparkling bits that catch it. Those tiny bright points, the kind of sparkle that dazzles on a dress or in a snow-covered field, are the word's most familiar use today.

Synonyms: shine, sparkle, twinkle, glimmer, shimmer

Antonyms: dull, fade, darken