n. A live coal. See Gleed. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. glem, gleam, AS. glæm, prob. akin to E. glimmer, and perh. to Gr. &unr_; warm, &unr_; 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

A glimmer, and then a gleam of light. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Brightness; splendor. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the clear azure gleam the flocks are seen. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Cf. OE. glem birdlime, glue, phlegm, and E. englaimed. ] (Falconry) To disgorge filth, as a hawk. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To shoot out (flashes of light, etc.). [ 1913 Webster ]

Dying eyes gleamed forth their ashy lights. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. 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 ]

a. Darting beams of light; casting light in rays; flashing; coruscating. [ 1913 Webster ]

In brazed arms, that cast a gleamy ray,
Swift through the town the warrior bends his way. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A collection made by gleaning. [ 1913 Webster ]

The gleans of yellow thyme distend his thighs. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Cleaning; afterbirth. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Gleaned p. pr. & vb. n. Gleaning. ] [ OE. glenen, OF. glener, glaner, F. glaner, fr. LL. glenare; cf. W. glan clean, glanh&unr_;u to clean, purify, or AS. gelm, gilm, a hand&unr_;ul. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To gather after a reaper; to collect in scattered or fragmentary parcels, as the grain left by a reaper, or grapes left after the gathering. [ 1913 Webster ]

To glean the broken ears after the man
That the main harvest reaps. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To gather from (a field or vineyard) what is left. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To collect with patient and minute labor; to pick out; to obtain. [ 1913 Webster ]

Content to glean what we can from . . . experiments. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To gather stalks or ears of grain left by reapers. [ 1913 Webster ]

And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers. Ruth ii. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To pick up or gather anything by degrees. [ 1913 Webster ]

Piecemeal they this acre first, then that;
Glean on, and gather up the whole estate. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]