From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgleamgleam1 /ɡliːm/ ●○○ verb [intransitive] 1 SHINEto shine softly SYN glimmer His teeth gleamed under his moustache.gleam with The wooden panelling was gleaming with wax polish.► see thesaurus at shine2 SHOW A FEELING OR ATTITUDEif your eyes or face gleam with a feeling, they show it SYN glintgleam with He laughed, his eyes gleaming with amusement. —gleaming adjective gleaming white walls→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
gleam• Grover smiled mysteriously, his gold tooth gleaming.• She went back into school, brow furrowed, eyes gleaming.• The floors gleamed, and the house smelled sweetly of soap and fresh air.• John's face gleamed as he thought of his plan for revenge.• He gleamed blue-yellow in the night.• On either side her head gleamed coiled braids of dark-gold hair, almost pale copper in the subdued light of the room.• The ledges gleamed in the air briefly in the gray light then plummeted as the water gargled and spat all around them.• A Rolls Royce was parked outside, gleaming in the sunshine.• The old walnut dining table gleamed under the chandelier.• On his left was the galley, a tiny kitchen gleaming with stainless steel.gleam with• Her eyes gleamed with amusement.• The engine gleamed with oil.gleamgleam2 noun [countable] 1 LIGHTa small pale light, especially one that shines for a short time SYN glimmergleam of They saw a sudden gleam of light.2 SHINYthe brightness of something that shines SYN glintgleam of the gleam of gold and diamonds3 EXPRESSION ON somebody'S FACEan emotion or expression that appears for a moment on someone’s facegleam of She saw a gleam of amusement in his eyes. Rose looked at me with a furious gleam in her eyes.4 → something is a gleam in somebody’s eyeExamples from the Corpus
gleam• Maybe there was going to be a gleam of light this morning.• She remembered him and Agape said quite a gleam came in her eye.• His shoes are spit-shined and the buttons on his jersey gleam.• Sure enough, her eyes could see the faint satiny gleam of his bronze skin.• But he was a sucker for that gleam in her eye.• The whole building was painted the frost white of cake icing and its shine echoed the gleam of the silent Thames behind.• I heard the back door of the house open, and saw the gleam of a lantern.• Now and then the gleam of a flashlight would wink out through the shrubbery.gleam of• I noticed a gleam of gold from his watch.• There was a gleam of happiness on his face.• They saw the gleam of the lighthouse in the distance.Origin gleam2 Old English glæm 