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scintillating - 3 dictionary results

scin⋅til⋅lat⋅ing

[sin-tl-ey-ting]
–adjective
1. animated; vivacious; effervescent: a scintillating personality.
2. witty; brilliantly clever: a scintillating conversationalist; a play full of scintillating dialogue.

Origin:
1880–85; scintillate + -ing 1


scin⋅til⋅lat⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

scin⋅til⋅late

[sin-tl-eyt] verb, -lat⋅ed, -lat⋅ing.
–verb (used without object)
1. to emit sparks.
2. to sparkle; flash: a mind that scintillates with brilliance.
3. to twinkle, as the stars.
4. Electronics. (of a spot of light or image on a radar display) to shift rapidly around a mean position.
5. Physics.
a. (of the amplitude, phase, or polarization of an electromagnetic wave) to fluctuate in a random manner.
b. (of an energetic photon or particle) to produce a flash of light in a phosphor by striking it.
–verb (used with object)
6. to emit as sparks; flash forth.

Origin:
1615–25; < L scintillātus (ptp. of scintillāre to send out sparks, flash). See scintilla, -ate 1
scin·til·late   (sĭn'tl-āt')   
v.   scin·til·lat·ed, scin·til·lat·ing, scin·til·lates

v.   intr.
  1. To throw off sparks; flash.
  2. To sparkle or shine. See Synonyms at flash.
  3. To be animated and brilliant: dinner conversation that scintillated.
v.   tr.
To give off (sparks or flashes).

[Latin scintillāre, scintillāt-, from scintilla, spark.]
scin'til·lant adj., scin'til·lat'ing·ly adv.
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