Brightness, brilliance, or a sudden flash of light; radiant splendor.
From Latin fulgor, a noun meaning 'lightning, brightness' derived from fulgēre 'to shine.' The term passed into English directly as a poetic and literary word, particularly common in Renaissance and Romantic-era writing. It captures the sense of both steady brilliance and sudden, flashing light.
In Latin poetry, fulgor often described lightning—Jupiter's thunderbolts—which is why it carries such dramatic, powerful connotations. When English poets borrowed this word, they often used it to describe moments of sudden illumination, both literal and metaphorical.
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