sparkle

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: spar=kle

CIDE DICTIONARY

sparkle, n. [Dim. of spark.].

•  A little spark; a scintillation.  [1913 Webster]

  "As fire is wont to quicken and go
  From a sparkle sprungen amiss,
  Till a city brent up is."  [1913 Webster]

  "The shock was sufficiently strong to strike out some sparkles of his fiery temper."  [1913 Webster]
•  Brilliancy; luster; as, the sparkle of a diamond.  [1913 Webster]

sparkle, v. i. [See Sparkle, n., Spark of fire.].

•  To emit sparks; to throw off ignited or incandescent particles; to shine as if throwing off sparks; to emit flashes of light; to scintillate; to twinkle; as, the blazing wood sparkles; the stars sparkle.  [1913 Webster]

  "A mantelet upon his shoulder hanging
  Bretful of rubies red, as fire sparkling."  [1913 Webster]
•  To manifest itself by, or as if by, emitting sparks; to glisten; to flash.  [1913 Webster]

  "I see bright honor sparkle through your eyes."  [1913 Webster]
•  To emit little bubbles, as certain kinds of liquors; to effervesce; as, sparkling wine.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To shine; glisten; scintillate; radiate; coruscate; glitter; twinkle.

sparkle, v. t. 

 To emit in the form or likeness of sparks.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

sparkle, v. t. [Cf. Sparble.].

•  To disperse.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Landgrave hath sparkled his army without any further enterprise."  [1913 Webster]
•  To scatter on or over.  Purchas.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sparkle, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 a emit or seem to emit sparks; glitter; glisten (her eyes sparkled). b be witty; scintillate (sparkling repartee).
2 (of wine etc.) effervesce (cf. STILL(1) adj. 4).
--n. a gleam, spark.

Derivative

sparkly adj.

Etymology

ME f. SPARK(1) + -LE(4)

THESAURUS

sparkle

animation, be brilliant, be merry with, beam, blaze, blink, blinking, blubber, boil, boil over, boiling, brightness, brilliance, bubble, bubble over, bubble up, bubbliness, bubbling, burble, burn, caper, caracole, carbonation, cheer, cheerfulness, chirp, chirrup, coruscate, coruscation, crack a joke, crack wise, dance, dash, dazzle, ebullience, ebulliency, ebullition, effervesce, effervescence, effervescency, elan, energy, excitement, ferment, fermentation, fire, firefly, fizz, fizzle, flame, flash, fleer at, flicker, foaming, frolic, frothiness, frothing, fun, gaiety, gambol, gibe at, glance, gleam, glimmer, glimmering, glint, glisk, glisten, glister, glitter, glittering, glow, glowworm, guggle, gurgle, gusto, hiss, jape, jest, joke, josh, joy, kid, kid around, laugh, life, lilt, liveliness, make a funny, make fun, make fun of, mock, oomph, pep, piquancy, play on words, plop, poignancy, poke fun at, pun, pungency, quip, raciness, radiance, radiate cheer, ridicule, romp, scintilla, scintillate, scintillation, scoff at, seethe, shimmer, shimmering, shine, simmer, sing, skip, smile, spangle, spark, spirit, spumescence, stroboscopic light, tinsel, twinkle, twinkling, utter a mot, verve, vigor, vim, vivacity, vividness, whistle, wink, wisecrack, wittiness, work, zeal, zing, zip

ROGET THESAURUS

sparkle

Bubble

VB bubble, boil, foam, froth, mantle, sparkle, guggle, gurgle, effervesce, ferment, fizzle.

Light

VB shine, glow, glitter, glister, glisten, twinkle, gleam, flare, flare up, glare, beam, shimmer, glimmer, flicker, sparkle, scintillate, coruscate, flash, blaze, be bright, reflect light, daze, dazzle, bedazzle, radiate, shoot out beams, fulgurate, clear up, brighten, lighten, enlighten, levin, light, light up, irradiate, shine upon, give out a light, hang out a light, cast light upon, cast light in, throw light upon, throw light in, shed light upon, shed luster upon, illume, illumine, illuminate, relume, strike a light, kindle.