Word of the Day for Friday November 18, 2005 lambent \LAM-buhnt\, adjective: 1. Playing lightly on or over a surface; flickering; as, "a lambent flame; lambent shadows." 2. Softly bright or radiant; luminous; as, "a lambent light." 3. Light and brilliant; as, "a lambent style; lambent wit." I have an image in my mind of the soaring vault rising and disappearing into the gray-white silence, the niches in the salt walls where the saints dwelled, the few points of lambent gold glimmering feebly on the altar. --Richard O'Mara, "The Unapologetic Tourist," [1]New York Times, November 21, 1999 There, in the lambent glow of flashlight or lantern, you find the fragile rock walls covered with thousand-year-old paintings illustrating the life of the Buddha and his teachings. --Michael O'Sullivan, "The Cave as Canvas: Hidden Images of Worship Along the Silk Road," [2]Washington Post, January 4, 2002 Across the plaza, the lambent moonlight cast shadows on a former convent's facade of saints and angels. --Stephen Benz, "Our Mailman in Havana," [3]Washington Post, November 19, 2000 She wanted to tell him how she felt and feel that lambent look that was better than sunshine, his look of offering all that was in him. --Anna Shapiro, "The Scourge," [4]USA Today, July 23, 2001 It [the opera] is also sumptuously orchestrated, gracefully written for the singers, well-suited to the stage action, deeply felt yet tasteful in expression, and, at its best, a lambent, shimmering creation, full of beauty and nuance. --Tim Page, "Appealing 'Dangerous Liaisons,'" [5]Newsday, September 12, 1994 _________________________________________________________ Lambent is from the present participle of Latin lambere,"to lick." References 1. http://www.nytimes.com/ 2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ 3. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ 4. http://www.usatoday.com/ 5. http://www.newsday.com/ Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=9&q=lambent