: playing lightly on or over a surface : flickering
2
: softly bright or radiant
3
: marked by lightness or brilliance especially of expression
lambentlyadverb
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Lambent and Flames
Fire is frequently associated with lapping or licking imagery: flames are often described as "tongues" that "lick." Lambent, which first appeared in English in the 17th century, is a part of this tradition, coming from lambens, the present participle of the Latin verb lambere, meaning "to lick." In its earliest uses, lambent meant "playing lightly over a surface," "gliding over," or "flickering." These uses were usually applied to flames or light, and by way of that association, the term eventually came to describe things with a radiant or brilliant glow, as Alexander Pope used it in his 1717 poem "Eloisa to Abelard": "Those smiling eyes, attemp'ring ev'ry ray, Shone sweetly lambent with celestial day."
lambent sunlight glinting off the waves a writer known for her lambent wit
Recent Examples on the WebFinally, a razor-sharp line appeared ahead of us where the lambent sea ended and blackness began. Sam Keck Scott, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2022 Rich and round with lambent acidity and a hint of orange citrics. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 22 May 2022 Within minutes the profile of the 2021 vintage emerged: bright and lambent acidity integrated with spry aromas of slightly wild red fruits—country lane strawberries and young raspberries—before a background of subtle, silky tannins. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2022 In the mouth, a powerhouse of scintillating flavors—precise, clean, vibrant—provide a rich, layered, lambent dessert wine. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021 Silky tannins, lambent red fruit flavors—cherries, raspberries, light plums, passionfruit. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021 The lambent bass of René Pape, who performed the title role, has been mesmerizing Met audiences for nearly thirty years. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2021 Principal oboe John Ferrillo also deserves special mention for the glowing, lambent beauty of his solo to open the slow movement.BostonGlobe.com, 9 Aug. 2021 The objects around me are lambent with significance. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin lambent-, lambens, present participle of lambere to lick — more at lap