Glint — A Vocabulary Story
The Brass Compass of Lindisfarne
Nur tightened the strap of her rucksack as the tide retreated, exposing the causeway to Lindisfarne Castle. Beside her, Hassan held an old brass compass that had belonged to his great-uncle, a fisherman who once swore the island held a secret.
"Look," he whispered, tilting the dial. A glint of morning sun bounced off its glass and landed squarely on a flat stone near the castle wall.
Glint means a small flash of light, especially as reflected from a shiny surface. It also means a brief or faint manifestation of an emotion or quality.
"Coincidence," Nur said, though her grin betrayed her.
They clambered up the slope. Wherever they moved, the compass caught a glint and threw it ahead, like a patient guide. Past the lime kilns, past the windswept battery, until at last the beam settled on a loose brick beside a rusting hinge.
Hassan prised it free. Inside lay a tin, and inside the tin, a folded chart of the Northumbrian coast, its inked harbours marked with tiny crosses. A faint glint of gold leaf edged the title.
"It's a map of safe anchorages," Nur breathed. "He drew this himself."
The sea wind tugged the paper. Hassan steadied it, watching the glint of waves below the ramparts, the same waves his great-uncle had read for forty years. He tucked the chart carefully into his coat, and the compass gave one last glint, as though pleased to be useful again after so long a wait.
Word Definition
glint
meaning
a small flash of light, especially as reflected from a shiny surface; a brief or faint manifestation of an emotion or quality
synonyms
sparkle · gleam · twinkle · flash · glimmer
antonyms
gaze · flatness · dullness
example sentence
A glint of sunlight reflected off the glass.