Opalescing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Displaying a range of changing colors that evoke the unique play of light seen in opals, this term signifies something that reflects various hues when illuminated
2. Exhibiting a shimmering array of colors that change with the angle of light, this descriptor indicates a surface that has qualities similar to those of an opal stone
3. Characterized by a shifting spectrum of colors reminiscent of opals, this term conveys the idea of a surface that refracts light in a captivating manner

Etymology: The gem's name comes first. "Opal" entered English from Latin "opalus", which was itself borrowed from Greek "opallios", and the stone's shifting colours are what the word's history keeps returning to. The verb here is built on that noun. Its ending, "-esce", comes from Latin "-escere", a suffix that turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to become, to take on the quality of". So "opalesce" means, literally, to take on the qualities of an opal. The formation is simple: the noun "opal" plus the verbal suffix, with the present participle "-ing" added to show the action in progress. Several English verbs follow the same pattern, such as "iridesce" from "iris" and "effervesce" from Latin "effervescere", where the suffix does the same job of describing a change of state. The word thus describes a surface that is becoming opal-like as the light moves across it.

Synonyms: iridescent, shimmering, glimmering, glowing, luminous

Antonyms: dull, matte, flat, drab, lackluster