Sheen
The word sheen denotes smooth shine, brightness and soft lustre. While it is predominantly used for surfaces that can exhibit these qualities, it is also used in other contexts.
Origin
The first attested use of the word is from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet’ in 1602. It is derived from the Old English word scene, sciene meaning beautiful, bright, brilliant, which is from the Proto-Germanic skauniz, meaning conspicuous.
The word sheen is also used these days to correspond to “a film of oil on water”. This usage has been around only from the 1970s.
Usage
His haughty demeanour at the end of the show took some sheen off his splendid performance.
Picture Credit : Google
