[f. SPARKLE v.1]
1. The action of sending out sparks or sparkles, or of glittering with light; scintillation.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 467/2. Spartlynge [Winch. Sparkelyng].
1548. Elyot, Scintillatio, a sparkelyng vp of fire.
1614. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems (1616), I j. Her Eyes such Beames sent foorth, that but with Paine Here, weaker Sights their sparckling could sustaine.
1667. Inform. Fire Lond., in Somers, Tracts, VII. 619. He saw something … like wild-fire by the sparkling and spitting.
1701. G. Stanhope, Pious Breath., III. xiv. (1704), 225. Thou hast not … the sparkling of Precious Stones, nor the Harmony of Musick.
1728. Bailey, Scintillation, a sparkling as Fire.
1811. Pinkerton, Petral., II. 557. Stones thrown bounding into this furnace, produced flaming eruptions with sparkling.
1884. Pall Mall Gaz., 8 April, 5/1. A sparkling of gold, silver, or the dull lustre of a bronze.
fig. 1613. Drumm. of Hawth., Cypress Grove, Wks. (1711), 117. From the Sparkling of God in the Soul, or from the God-like Sparkles of the Soul.
b. attrib. with relay (cf. SPARKING vbl. sb.1).
c. 1865. Wylde’s Circ. Sci., I. 272. The sparkling relay of other makers compels them to use only a very moderate power.
2. With pl. An instance of this; a shower of sparks; a spark or fiery particle; a gleam, a sparkle.
a. 1529. Skelton, P. Sparowe, 80. Phyllypes soule to kepe … from her fyry sparklynges, For burnynge of his wynges.
1558. Phaër, Æneid, V. O ij. They themselues beholding spie, The sparcklings rising broad.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 23. First on flint smiting soom sparcklinges sprinckled Achates.
1710. J. Clarke, trans. Rohault’s Nat. Philos. (1729), I. I. ii. 10. If any one looks full upon the Sun, and immediately goes into a dark Place, he will see the Sun there, and some Sparklings of it.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 181. You may also perceive by the increase of the sparklings of the iron bars,… how your work goes on.
1820. Wordsw., River Duddon, Sonn. xxv. The waters seem to waste Their vocal charm; their sparklings cease to please.
1848. Clough, Bothie, III. 52. Here, the delight of the bather, you roll in beaded sparklings.
fig. 1641. R. Brooke, Eng. Episc., II. vii. 104. Are there not some sparklings of this Truth, even amongst us in England?
1776. Love, Diary, 22 Sept. in Mem. (1857), I. v. 198. I have had some sparklings of shame now and then.
