glimmer

noun

1. a faint or unsteady light; gleam.
2. a dim perception; inkling.

verb (used without object)

3. to shine faintly or unsteadily; twinkle, shimmer, or flicker.
4. to appear faintly or dimly.

verb (intr)

1. (of a light, candle, etc) to glow faintly or flickeringly
2. to be indicated faintlyhope glimmered in his face

noun

3. a glow or twinkle of light
4. a faint indication

v.

early 14c., “shine brightly,” a frequentative from Proto-Germanic *glim-, root of Old English glæm “brightness” (see gleam (n.)). Sense shifted 15c. to “shine faintly.” Cf. Dutch glimmeren, German glimmeren “to shine dimly.” Related: Glimmered; glimmering.

n.

1580s, from glimmer (v.).