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shine

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shine

1[shahyn] verb, shone or, especially for 9, 17, shined; shin⋅ing; noun
–verb (used without object)
1. to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light.
2. to be bright with reflected light; glisten; sparkle.
3. (of light) to appear brightly or strongly, esp. uncomfortably so: Wear dark glasses so the sun won't shine in your eyes.
4. to be or appear unusually animated or bright, as the eyes or face.
5. to appear with brightness or clearness, as feelings.
6. to excel or be conspicuous: to shine in school.
–verb (used with object)
7. to cause to shine.
8. to direct the light of (a lamp, mirror, etc.): Shine the flashlight on the steps so I can see.
9. to put a gloss or polish on; polish (as shoes, silverware, etc.).
–noun
10. radiance or brightness caused by emitted or reflected light.
11. luster; polish.
12. sunshine; fair weather.
13. a polish or gloss given to shoes.
14. an act or instance of polishing shoes.
15. Informal. a foolish prank; caper.
16. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a black person.
17. shine up to, Informal.
a. to attempt to impress (a person), esp. in order to gain benefits for oneself.
b. to become especially attentive to (one of the opposite sex): Men shine up to her like moths to a light.
18. come rain or shine,
a. regardless of the weather.
b. no matter what the circumstances may be: Come rain or shine, he is always on the job.
Also, rain or shine.
19. take a shine to, Informal. to take a liking or fancy to: That little girl has really taken a shine to you.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME s(c)hinen (v.), OE scīnan; c. D schijnen, G scheinen, ON skīna, Goth skeinan


1. glimmer, shimmer. Shine, beam, glare refer to the emitting or reflecting of light. Shine refers to a steady glowing or reflecting of light: to shine in the sun. That which beams gives forth a radiant or bright light: to beam like a star. Glare refers to the shining of a light that is not only bright but so strong as to be unpleasant and dazzling: to glare like a headlight. 9. buff, burnish, brighten. 11. gloss, gleam, glow, sheen.

shine

2[shahyn]
–noun Slang.
moonshine.

Origin:
1935–40; by shortening
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To shine
shine   (shīn)   
v.   shone (shōn) or shined, shin·ing, shines

v.   intr.
  1. To emit light.

  2. To reflect light; glint or glisten.

  3. To distinguish oneself in an activity or a field; excel.

  4. To be immediately apparent: Delight shone in her eyes.

v.   tr.
  1. To aim or cast the beam or glow of (a light).

  2. past tense and past participle shined To make glossy or bright by polishing.

n.  
  1. Brightness from a source of light; radiance.

  2. Brightness from reflected light; luster.

  3. A shoeshine.

  4. Excellence in quality or appearance; splendor.

  5. Fair weather: rain or shine.

  6. shines Informal Pranks or tricks.

  7. Slang Whiskey; moonshine.

  8. Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a Black person.


[Middle English shinen, from Old English scīnan.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
shine (so)

  1. tv.
    to insult someone; to deceive someone. : Stop shining me. I'm cool, man, ice.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

shine  (v.)
O.E. scinan "shed light, be radiant" (class I strong verb; past tense scan, pp. scinen), from P.Gmc. *skinanan (cf. O.S., O.H.G. skinan, O.N., O.Fris. skina, Du. schijnen, Ger. scheinen, Goth. skeinan "to shine, appear"), from PIE base *skai- "to gleam, shine, flicker" (cf. O.C.S. snati "to flash up, shine;" Skt. chaya, Gk. skia "shade"). Transitive meaning "to black (boots)" is from 1613.

shine  (n.)
1529, "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 Amer.Eng. slang from 1839. Shiner for "black eye" first recorded 1904.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

shine

In addition to the idiom beginning with shine, also see make hay while the sun shines; rain or shine; rise and shine; take a fancy (shine) to.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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