sparkle

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈspɑːkəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈspɑɹkəl/
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)kəl
• Homophone: SPARQL

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From Middle English sparkel, sparkle, sparcle, equivalent to spark +‎ -le (diminutive suffix). In some modern uses deverbal from etymology 2 below.

sparkle (countable and uncountable, plural sparkles)

1. A little spark; a scintillation.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 42:

     As sparckles from the Anduile vse to fly, / When heauie hammers on the wedge are swaid

   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 112:

     The lamp was shaded, and the fire was dim, when suddenly the log, which had burnt through, gave way; a shower of sparkles rose from the hearth, and a bright blaze illuminated the room, falling full on Francesca's face, as she bent over the patient.

   • 1855–1858, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company, →OCLC:

     The shock was sufficiently strong to strike out some sparkles of his fiery temper.

2. Brilliance; luster.

   the sparkle of a diamond

3. Liveliness; vivacity.

   the sparkle of his conversation over dinner

4. The quality of being sparkling or fizzy; effervescence.

From Middle English sparklen, sperclen, equivalent to spark +‎ -le (frequentative verb). Cognate with West Frisian sparkelje (“to sparkle”), Dutch sparkelen (“to sparkle”).

• sparckle, sparcle (obsolete)

sparkle (third-person singular simple present sparkles, present participle sparkling, simple past and past participle sparkled)

1. (intransitive) To emit sparks; to throw off ignited or incandescent particles

   The wood was sparkling in the bonfire.

2. (by extension) To shine as if throwing off sparks; to emit flashes of light; to scintillate; to twinkle

   The stars sparkle in the sky.

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.

3. (intransitive) To manifest itself by, or as if by, emitting sparks; to glisten; to flash.
   • 1634, John Milton, “Arcades”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC:

     I see bright honour sparkle through your eyes.

4. (intransitive) To emit little bubbles, as certain kinds of liquors; to effervesce

   sparkling wine

   sparkling water

5. (transitive) To emit in the form or likeness of sparks.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 32:

     That the bright glister of their beames cleare / Did sparckle forth great light, and glorious did appeare.

6. (transitive, obsolete) To disperse.
7. (transitive, obsolete) To scatter on or over.

• (glisten, flash): shine, glisten, scintillate, radiate, coruscate, glitter, twinkle

• asparkle
• sparkler
• sparkling water

• ❇, ❈, ✨

• “sparkle”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

• kerslap

sparkle

1. Alternative form of sparkel