kilap

Kilap is an Indonesian noun that denotes the quality or state of shining, or the sheen and luster of a surface. It is used to describe how a material reflects light, such as the polished surface of metal, glass, or jewelry, and can also be applied more metaphorically to describe brightness in a scene or the gleam in someone’s eyes. The term often appears in descriptions of appearance and materials, as well as in catalogs and mineralogical contexts.

The related adjectives berkilap meaning shiny or gleaming, and the verbs mengkilap or mengkilapkan meaning to make shiny or to become polished, are commonly used. Kilap focuses on the reflective quality of surfaces, whereas other words like kilau emphasize glitter or sparkle.

In practical usage, kilap appears in phrases such as kilap logam (metallic luster) or kilap kaca (glassy luster), and it is also employed in mineralogy and gemology to classify different types of luster. The term is widespread in everyday language, descriptive writing, and technical descriptions of materials.

Etymology is linked to Malay and Indonesian roots related to brightness and sheen. Kilap shares semantic space with related words such as kilau, though kilap typically centers on surface reflectivity rather than pure glitter.