What do you call a brightly lit spot, especially as a result of reflecting the light source (e.g. sun) off a glassy surface?
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8It is a specular highlight– StoneyB on hiatusCommented Jun 19, 2014 at 18:02
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2@StoneyB That's an answer.– DanielCommented Jun 19, 2014 at 20:49
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1@StoneyB that's the answer. You should post it.– Mari-Lou ACommented Jun 20, 2014 at 5:40
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@StoneyB It's not too late to re-post your comment as an answer. It may be concise, but it perfectly describes the phenomenon that the asker mentioned, and I would hate for your answer to be lost (as it is, after all, posted as a comment).– Ted BrodaCommented Jun 20, 2014 at 18:29
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It's only a specular highlight if you're talking about the bright spot on the reflective surface. If you mean the spot of light on another surface that results from reflection (like a mirror onto the ceiling), it's called a specular reflection. The question seems ambiguous to me.– Gob TiesCommented Jun 20, 2014 at 19:18
3 Answers
I believe that would be glare.
glare (noun): a harsh uncomfortably bright light (the glare of a neon sign) (the glare of publicity); especially: painfully bright sunlight
sparkle, gleam, flash.
["It will flame out, like shining from shook foil..." -- GMH]
...especially as a result of reflecting the light source (e.g. sun) off a glassy surface?
Catoptric adj. pertaining to the branch of optics which studies reflected light from mirrors and shiny surfaces
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Relucent: Reflecting light; shining; glittering; glistening; bright; luminous; splendid. [1913 Webster]