English

Noun

sparkle ‎(plural sparkles)

1. A little spark; a scintillation.
   • Spenser

     As sparkles from the anvil rise, / When heavy hammers on the wedge are swayed.

   • Prescott

     The shock was sufficiently strong to strike out some sparkles of his fiery temper.

2. Brilliance; luster.

   the sparkle of a diamond.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English sparklen, spearclen, sperclen, equivalent to spark +‎ -le ‎(frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch sparkelen ‎(“to sparkle”).

Alternative forms

• sparckle, sparcle (obsolete)

Verb

sparkle ‎(third-person singular simple present sparkles, present participle sparkling, simple past and past participle sparkled)

1. (intransitive) To emit sparks; to throw off ignited or incandescent particles, as the blazing wood sparkles.
2. (by extension) To shine as if throwing off sparks; to emit flashes of light; to scintillate; to twinkle; as, the stars sparkle.
   • A mantelet upon his shoulder hanging Bretful of rubies red, as fire sparkling. — Chaucer.
   • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 5, in The Mirror and the Lamp:

     Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.

3. (intransitive) To manifest itself by, or as if by, emitting sparks; to glisten; to flash.
   • Milton

     I see bright honour sparkle through your eyes.

4. (intransitive) To emit little bubbles, as certain kinds of liquors; to effervesce; as, sparkling wine.
5. (transitive) To emit in the form or likeness of sparks.
   • Did sparkle forth great light. — Spenser
6. (transitive, obsolete) To disperse.
   • The Landgrave hath sparkled his army without any further enterprise. — State Papers.
7. (transitive, obsolete) To scatter on or over.

Synonyms

• (glisten, flash): shine, glisten, scintillate, radiate, coruscate, glitter, twinkle

Translations

References

• sparkle in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913