# glimmer
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English glimeren, glemeren (“to glimmer”), equivalent to glim (“to shine”) +‎ -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with German Low German glimmern (“to glimmer”), German glimmern (“to glimmer”), Danish glimre (“to glimmer”), Swedish glimra (“to glimmer”). Doublet of glimpse.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈɡlɪmə(ɹ)/
* (US) IPA: /ˈɡlɪmɚ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (General Australian):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɪmə(ɹ)

### Noun

glimmer (countable and uncountable, plural glimmers)
* A faint light; a dim glow.
    The glimmer of the fireflies was pleasant to watch.
* A flash of light.
* A faint or remote possibility (as it were a flash of light).
    Synonym: glimpse
    a glimmer of hope
* (dated, uncountable) Mica.

#### Synonyms

* (flash of light): sparkle, shimmer

#### Derived terms

* flimmer
* glimmer-gowk
* glimmer of hope

#### Translations
### Verb

glimmer (third-person singular simple present glimmers, present participle glimmering, simple past and past participle glimmered)
* (intransitive) To shine with a faint, unsteady light.
    Synonyms: flicker, glimpse, shimmer, twinkle; see also Thesaurus:glisten
    the glimmering dawn    a glimmering lamp
    The fireflies glimmered in the dark.
** c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.

#### Derived terms

* aglimmer
* glimmerite
* glimmersome
* glimmery

#### Translations
## Icelandic
### Etymology

Borrowed from Danish glimmer, from glimre (“to glimmer”). Cognate with glimrandi (“splendid”), which is also from Danish. False friend with English glimmer.

### Noun

glimmer n (genitive singular glimmers, no plural)
* glitter (small decorative shiny particles)
* (mineralogy) mica

#### Declension
### References

* Kristín Bjarnadóttir, editor (2002–2025), “glimmer”, in Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls [The Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection] (in Icelandic), Reykjavík: The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

Derived from glimre (“glitter, glisten, sparkle”). Sense 2 is from German Glimmer. Has also undergone influence from English.

### Noun

glimmer m (definite singular glimmeren, uncountable)
* (literary and formal) magnificence, glitter, tinsel, something that shines
    Rikdommens glimmer ― The tinsel of wealth
* mica
    Glimmer er et mineral som lett spaltes i tynne flak.Mica is a mineral that easily separates into thin leaves.

#### Synonyms

* (sense 1) glans, prakt, herlighet
* (sense 2) kråkesølv, mica, mikanitt

#### Derived terms

* glimmerskifer
* Lys glimmer = white mica (literally: "bright mica")

### References

* “glimmer” in The Ordnett Dictionary
* “glimmer” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology

Derived from glimre (“glitter, glisten, sparkle”), with influence from English. The definition is from German Glimmer.

### Noun

glimmer m (definite singular glimmeren, uncountable)
* mica
    Glimmer er eit mineral som lett spaltast i tynne flak.Mica is a mineral that easily separates into thin leaves.

#### Synonyms

* kråkesølv, mica, mikanitt

#### Derived terms

* glimmerskifer
* Lys glimmer = white mica (literally: "bright mica")

### References

* “glimmer” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Swedish
### Etymology 1

Borrowed from German Glimmer.

#### Noun

glimmer c
* (mineralogy) mica

##### Declension
### Etymology 2

Deverbal from glimra.

#### Noun

glimmer n
* (rare) shine, gloss, sheen, radiance
    Synonyms: glans, skimmer

##### Declension
### References

* glimmer in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* glimmer in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* glimmer in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
* glimra in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)