different between glitter vs sequin

English

Etymology

From Middle English gliteren, from Old Norse glitra, from Proto-Germanic *glitr?n? (“to glitter”), from Proto-Indo-European *??ley-.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??l?t?(?)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??l?t?/, [??l???]
• Rhymes: -?t?(r)

Noun

glitter (countable and uncountable, plural glitters)

1. A bright, sparkling light; shininess or brilliance.
   • 1913, Mary Averill, Japanese flower arrangement Chapter 20

     This to them seems most like mother earth in color, and therefore best, as it is, to enhance the beauty of flowers instead of detracting from their exquisite shades. What a contrast to the glitter and show of our silver vases, which represent generally little else but their cost.

   • 1841, Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge Chapter 57

     As yet there had been no symptom of the news having any better foundation than in the fears of those who brought it, but The Boot had not been deserted five minutes, when there appeared, coming across the fields, a body of men who, it was easy to see, by the glitter of their arms and ornaments in the sun, and by their orderly and regular mode of advancing

2. A shiny, decorative adornment, sometimes sprinkled on glue to make simple artwork.
3. (figuratively) Glitz.

Descendants

• ? Portuguese: glitter
• ? Spanish: glitter

Translations

Verb

glitter (third-person singular simple present glitters, present participle glittering, simple past and past participle glittered)

1. To sparkle with light; to shine with a brilliant and broken light or showy luster; to gleam.

   a glittering sword

   the glittering ornaments on a Christmas tree

   • The field yet glitters with the pomp of war.

2. To be showy, specious, or striking, and hence attractive.

   the glittering scenes of a court

Derived terms

• all that glitters is not gold

Translations

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from English glitter.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /??li.te?/

Noun

glitter m (uncountable)

1. glitter (shiny, decorative dust)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English glitter.

Noun

glitter m (plural glitteres)

1. glitter

Swedish

Etymology

Probably from Old Norse glitra.

Noun

glitter n (uncountable)

1. glitter; a shiny, decorative adornment

Declension

Related terms

• glittra
• glittrig

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French sequin, from Italian zecchino, from zecca (“mint”), from Arabic ??????? (sikka, “die for coining, coin”). Doublet of zecchin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?si?.kw?n/

Noun

sequin (plural sequins)

1. (now historical) Any of various small gold coins minted in Italy and Turkey.

   Synonym: zecchin

   • 1816, William Beckford, Vathek, Oxford 2013, p. 10:

     ‘Let him receive as many robes of honour and thousands of sequins of gold as he hath spoken words.’

   • 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Georges, and Louises, doubloons and double guineas and moidores and sequins, the pictures of all the kings of Europe for the last hundred years, strange Oriental pices stamped with what looked like wisps of string or its of spider's web, round pieces and square pieces, and pieces bored through the middle, as if to ware them round your neck - nearly every variety of money in the world must, I think, have found a place in that collection...

2. (fashion) A sparkling spangle used for the decoration of ornate clothing.

   Synonym: paillette

Translations

Further reading

• sequin on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• sequin in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• Quines, quines, sinque

French

Etymology

From Italian zecchino, from zecca (“mint”), from Arabic ??????? (sikka, “die for coining, coin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s?.k??/

Noun

sequin m (plural sequins)

1. (money) zecchin, sequin
2. sequin

   Synonym: paillette

Further reading

• “sequin” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• enquis, équins, niques, niqués