lambent
/ˈlæmbənt/ adjective
- adjective Brushing or flickering gently over a surface.
- adjective Glowing or luminous, but lacking heat. “The lambent glow of fireflies delighted the children.”
- adjective (figuratively) Exhibiting lightness or brilliance of wit; clever or witty without unkindness. “We appreciated her lambent comments.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin lambēns, present participle of lambō (“lick”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Playing on the surface; touching lightly; gliding over. "A lambent flame." Dryden. "A lambent style." Beaconsfield.
- adjective Twinkling or gleaming; fickering. "The lambent purity of the stars." W. Irving.
Etymology [L. lambens, -enlis, p. pr. of lambere to lick; akin to lap. See Lap to drink by licking.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “lambent”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details