v., shone (shōn), or shined, shin·ing, shines. v.intr.
- To emit light.
- To reflect light; glint or glisten.
- To distinguish oneself in an activity or a field; excel.
- To be immediately apparent: Delight shone in her eyes.
- To aim or cast the beam or glow of (a light).
- past tense and past participle, shined. To make glossy or bright by polishing.
- Brightness from a source of light; radiance.
- Brightness from reflected light; luster.
- A shoeshine.
- Excellence in quality or appearance; splendor.
- Fair weather: rain or shine.
- shines Informal. Pranks or tricks.
- Slang. Whiskey; moonshine.
- Offensive Slang. Used as a disparaging term for a Black person.
shine up to Informal.
- To try to impress or please: shined up to the boss, hoping to get a raise.
- To like spontaneously.
[Middle English shinen, from Old English scīnan.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
