glow

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a feeling of considerable warmth

   the glow of new love

2. 2
   verb

   be exuberant or high-spirited

   Make the people's hearts glow

3. 3
   verb

   emit a steady even light without flames

   The fireflies were glowing and flying about in the garden

4. 4
   verb

   have a complexion with a strong bright color, such as red or pink

   Our faces glowed when we came out of the sauna.

5. 5
   verb

   shine intensely, as if with heat

   The coals were glowing in the dark

6. 6
   verb

   To emit heat and light without a flame.

   Iron glows red hot when heated to near its melting point.

7. 7
   verb

   Of a fire: to emit heat and light.

   The fire was still glowing after ten hours.

8. 8
   verb

   To emit light brightly and steadily as if heated to a high temperature; to shine.

   [N]ovv glovv'd the Firmament / VVith living Saphirs: […]

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English glouen, glowen (“to give off heat and light without flame; of a thing: to be heated until red hot; to be brightly coloured; to shine brightly; (figurative) to be filled with emotion; of the face, etc.: to turn red, flush; etc.”), and then either: * from Old English glōwan (“to glow”) (a strong verb), from Proto-West Germanic *glōan (“to glow”); or * because the Middle English and modern English words are weak verbs, possibly from Old Norse *glówa, thought to be a variant of glóa (“to glow”), also a weak verb; both from Proto-Germanic *glōaną (“to glow”),…