gleam

An appearance of light, especially one which is indistinct or small, or short-lived.

Is not yon gleame, the ſhuddering morne that flakes, / VVith ſiluer tinctur, the eaſt vierge of heauen?

Sailing between Madagaſcar and Zeyloon (at or Near this place) in a dark night ſuddenly there happened a gleam of light, ſo bright that he could eaſily read by it. Amazed he vvas at this alteration; but at length perceived it vvas occaſioned by a number of Fiſh, vvhoſe glittering ſhells made that artificial light in the night, and gave the Sea a vvhite repercuſſion: […]

An indistinct sign of something; a glimpse or hint.

The rescue workers preserved a gleam of optimism that the trapped miners might still survive.

On the fifteenth of June a gleam of hope appeared.

A bright, but intermittent or short-lived, appearance of something.

A look of joy or liveliness on one's face.

[H]is black visage lighted up with a curious, mischievous gleam.

Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face / Sunny, thank you, thank you for the gleam that flows its grace

Sometimes as hot gleam: a warm ray of sunlight; also, a period of warm weather, for instance, between showers of rain.

The Pepper-trees live in Italie; the ſhrub of Caſia or the Canell likevviſe in the Northerly regions; the Frankincenſe tree alſo hath been knovvne to live in Lydia: but vvhere vvere the hote gleames of the Sunne to be found in thoſe regions, either to drie up the vvateriſh humor of the one, or to concot and thicken the gumme and roſin of the other?

[W]e felt a brisk gale coming from off the Coaſt of America, but ſo violently hot, that vve thought it came from ſome burning Mountain on the ſhore, and vvas like the heat from the mouth of an Oven. Juſt ſuch another gleam I felt one afternoon alſo, as I lay anchor at the Groin in July 1694. it came vvith a Southerly VVind: both theſe vvere follovved by a Thunder-ſhovver.

Chiefly in conjunction with an adverb: to cause (light) to shine.

Many a dry drop ſeem'd a vveeping teare, / Shed for the ſlaughtred husband by the vvife. / The red bloud reek'd to ſhevv the Painters ſtrife, / And dying eyes gleem'd forth their aſhie lights, / Like dying coales burnt out in tedious nights.

To shine, especially in an indistinct or intermittent manner; to glisten, to glitter.

Quick to redeem the Prey their plighted Lords / Advance, the Palace gleams vvith ſhining Svvords.

Beneath an oak he laid him down, / That in the blaze gleamed ruddy brown, […]

To be strongly but briefly apparent.

Mr. Crawley spoke these words without hesitation, even with eloquence, standing upright, and with something of a noble anger gleaming over his poor wan face; and, I think that while speaking them, he was happier than he had been for many a long day.

Of a hawk or other bird of prey: to disgorge filth from its crop or gorge.

Gleam, a term uſed after a hawk hath caſt and gleameth, or throweth up filth from her gorge.