[syn: gleam, glimmer]
3.  appear briefly; 
- Example: "A terrible thought gleamed in her mind"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Gleam \Gleam\, v. t.
   To shoot out (flashes of light, etc.).
   [1913 Webster]
         Dying eyes gleamed forth their ashy lights. --Shak.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Gleam \Gleam\, v. i. [Cf. OE. glem birdlime, glue, phlegm, and
   E. englaimed.] (Falconry)
   To disgorge filth, as a hawk.
   [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Gleam \Gleam\, n. [OE. glem, gleam, AS. gl[ae]m, prob. akin to
   E. glimmer, and perh. to Gr. ? warm, ? to warm. Cf.
   Glitter.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. A shoot of light; a small stream of light; a beam; a ray;
      a glimpse.
      [1913 Webster]
            Transient unexpected gleams of joi.   --Addison.
      [1913 Webster]
            At last a gleam
            Of dawning light turned thitherward in haste
            His [Satan's] traveled steps.         --Milton.
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            A glimmer, and then a gleam of light. --Longfellow.
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   2. Brightness; splendor.
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            In the clear azure gleam the flocks are seen.
                                                  --Pope.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Gleam \Gleam\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gleamed; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Gleaming.]
   1. To shoot, or dart, as rays of light; as, at the dawn,
      light gleams in the east.
      [1913 Webster]
   2. To shine; to cast light; to glitter.
   Syn: To Gleam, Glimmer, Glitter.
   Usage: To gleam denotes a faint but distinct emission of
          light. To glimmer describes an indistinct and unsteady
          giving of light. To glitter imports a brightness that
          is intense, but varying. The morning light gleams upon
          the earth; a distant taper glimmers through the mist;
          a dewdrop glitters in the sun. See Flash.
          [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
gleam
    n 1: an appearance of reflected light [syn: gleam, gleaming,
         glow, lambency]
    2: a flash of light (especially reflected light) [syn: gleam,
       gleaming, glimmer]
    v 1: be shiny, as if wet; "His eyes were glistening" [syn:
         glitter, glisten, glint, gleam, shine]
    2: shine brightly, like a star or a light [syn: gleam,
       glimmer]
    3: appear briefly; "A terrible thought gleamed in her mind"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
32 Moby Thesaurus words for "gleam":
   beam, burn, coruscation, flare, flash, flicker, glance, glare,
   glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, glow, hint, indication, inkling,
   light, look, radiate, ray, scintilla, scintillate, scintillation,
   shaft, shimmer, shine, spark, sparkle, suggestion, trace, twinkle,
   vestige