shine
n. C / Un. a bright light or a smooth, glowing surface. You can also use it to describe the brightness of someone's eyes or hair.
n. a quality of brightness or luminosity produced by reflected or emitted light. Often used to describe the polished finish of a surface or the healthy appearance of hair or skin.
The new wax gives the car a beautiful shine.
After hours of polishing, the old wooden table finally had a deep, warm shine that brightened the room.
The morning sun cast a brilliant shine across the lake, making the water look like a sheet of polished silver.
From Middle English shinen, schinen (preterite schon, past participle schinen), from Old English sċīnan (“to shine, flash; be resplendent”; preterite sċān, past participle sċinen), from Proto-West Germanic skīnan (“to shine”), from Proto-Germanic skīnaną (“to shine”).
From the noun shine, or perhaps continuing Middle English schinen in its causative uses, from Old English scīn (“brightness, shine”), and also Middle English schenen, from Old English scǣnan (“to render brilliant, make shine”), from Proto-Germanic skainijaną, causative of skīnaną (“to shine”).
Usually uncountable when referring to the quality of light or a finish; countable when referring to the act of polishing something, such as a 'shoe shine'.