resplendent

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 18, 2007 is: resplendent • \rih-SPLEN-dunt\  • adjective : shining brilliantly : characterized by a glowing splendor Examples: Zoo visitors excitedly snapped pictures of the peacock fanning his resplendent tail. Did you know? "Resplendent" has a lot in common with "splendid" ("shining, brilliant"), "splendent" ("shining, glossy"), and "splendor" ("brightness or luster"). Each of those glowing terms gets its shine from the Latin verb "splendēre" ("to shine"). Etymologists believe "splendēre" might also be related to Middle Irish "lainn," meaning "bright." "Splendent," "splendor," and "resplendent" first showed their lustrous senses in English during the 15th century, but "splendid" didn't show up until over 175 years later; its earliest known use dates from 1624. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.