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Reflect vs Gleam - What's the difference?

reflect | gleam |

As verbs the difference between reflect and gleam

is that reflect is to bend back (light, etc) from a surface while gleam is to shine; to glitter; to glisten.

As a noun gleam is

a small or indistinct shaft or stream of light.

reflect

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.
    • A mirror reflects the light that shines on it.
  • To be bent back (light, etc.) from a surface.
    • The moonlight reflected from the surface of water.
  • To mirror, or show the image of something.
    • The shop window reflected his image as he walked past.
  • To be mirrored.
    • His image reflected from the shop window as he walked past.
  • To agree with; to closely follow.
    • Entries in English dictionaries aim to reflect common usage.
  • To give evidence of someone's or something's character etc.
    • The team's victory reflects the Captain's abilities.
    The teacher's ability reflects well on the school.
  • *
    • With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get
  • (senseid) To think seriously; to ponder or consider.
    • People do that sort of thing every day, without ever stopping to reflect on the consequences.
  • * 1985 , , Option Lock , page 229:
    • Not for the first time, he reflected that it was not so much the speeches that strained the nerves as the palaver that went with them.

    Synonyms

    * See also
    Derived terms
    * reflective * reflexion * unreflective * nonreflective * reflectorize

    gleam

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a small or indistinct shaft or stream of light.
  • * Longfellow
    • A glimmer, and then a gleam of light.
  • a glimpse or hint; an indistinct sign of something.
    • The rescue workers preserved a gleam of optimism that they might still survive.
  • brightness or shininess; splendor.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • In the clear azure gleam the flocks are seen.

    Synonyms

    * (small shaft or stream of light) beam, ray * (glimpse or indistinct sign) flicker, glimmer, trace * (brightness or splendor) dazzle, lambency, shine

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To shine; to glitter; to glisten.
  • To be briefly but strongly apparent.
  • (obsolete, falconry) To disgorge filth, as a hawk.

    • Synonyms

    * glint, sparkle * (to radiate or emanate) glow, shine * (to be briefly but strongly apparent) flare, flash, kindle

    See also

    * leam

    References

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