verb (used without object), shone or shined, shin·ing.
- to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light.
- to be bright with reflected light; glisten; sparkle.
- (of light) to appear brightly or strongly, especially uncomfortably so: Wear dark glasses so the sun won’t shine in your eyes.
- to be or appear unusually animated or bright, as the eyes or face.
- to appear with brightness or clearness, as feelings.
- to excel or be conspicuous: to shine in school.
verb (used with object), shone or shined, shin·ing.
- to cause to shine.
- to direct the light of (a lamp, mirror, etc.): Shine the flashlight on the steps so I can see.
- to put a gloss or polish on; polish (as shoes, silverware, etc.).
noun
- radiance or brightness caused by emitted or reflected light.
- luster; polish.
- sunshine; fair weather.
- a polish or gloss given to shoes.
- an act or instance of polishing shoes.
- Informal. a foolish prank; caper.
- Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a black person.
Verb Phrases past and past participle shone or shined; present participle shin·ing.
- shine up to, Informal.
- to attempt to impress (a person), especially in order to gain benefits for oneself.
- to become especially attentive to (one of the opposite sex): Men shine up to her like moths to a light.
Idioms
- come rain or shine,
- regardless of the weather.
- no matter what the circumstances may be: Come rain or shine, he is always on the job.
Also rain or shine.
- take a shine to, Informal. to take a liking or fancy to: That little girl has really taken a shine to you.
verb shines, shining or shone
- (intr) to emit light
- (intr) to glow or be bright with reflected light
- (tr) to direct the light of (a lamp, etc)he shone the torch in my eyes
- (tr; past tense and past participle shined) to cause to gleam by polishingto shine shoes
- (intr) to be conspicuously competent; excelshe shines at tennis
- (intr) to appear clearly; be conspicuousthe truth shone out of his words
noun
- the state or quality of shining; sheen; lustre
- rain or shine or come rain or shine
- whatever the weather
- regardless of circumstances
- informal short for moonshine (def. 2)
- informal a liking or fancy (esp in the phrase take a shine to)
v.Old English scinan “shed light, be radiant, be resplendent, iluminate,” of persons, “be conspicuous” (class I strong verb; past tense scan, past participle scinen), from Proto-Germanic *skinan (cf. Old Saxon and Old High German skinan, Old Norse and Old Frisian skina, Dutch schijnen, German scheinen, Gothic skeinan “to shine, appear”), from PIE root *skai- (2) “to gleam, shine, flicker” (cf. Sanskrit chaya “brilliance, luster; shadow,” Greek skia “shade,” Old Church Slavonic sinati “to flash up, shine,” Albanian he “shadow”). Transitive meaning “to black (boots)” is from 1610s. Related: Shined (in the shoe polish sense), otherwise shone; shining. n.1520s, “brightness,” from shine (v.). Meaning “polish given to a pair of boots” is from 1871. Derogatory meaning “black person” is from 1908. Phrase to take a shine to “fancy” is American English slang from 1839, perhaps from shine up to “attempt to please as a suitor.” Shiner is from late 14c. as “something that shines;” sense of “black eye” first recorded 1904. see take a fancy. In addition to the idiom beginning with shine
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