shines

1. 1
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of shine.

   The polished brass shines under the gallery lights.

   A single candle shines through the cottage window after dusk.

   Note

   The present-tense form carries every meaning of the verb, from the literal to the figurative. A lamp shines, a polished floor shines, a gifted pianist shines in a recital, and a hidden quality shines through when it becomes obvious. In all of these it takes no direct object: something simply shines, rather than shining something else.

2. 2
   noun

   Plural of shine.

   Street vendors competed for customers wanting cheap shines downtown.

   The butler gave the silver trophies their final shines before the ceremony.

   Note

   In its senses of brightness, splendor and sunshine, the noun is often used without a plural (the shine on the floor), even though it can be counted. The plural comes into its own in the shoeshine sense, where a shine is a single job: a stand sells shines one pair of shoes at a time, and a busy morning means many shines.

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