Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The light or the direct rays from the sun.
  • noun The warmth given by the sun's rays.
  • noun A location or surface on which the sun's rays fall.
  • noun Radiant cheerfulness; geniality.
  • noun A source of cheerfulness.
  • noun Public access or scrutiny.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The light of the sun, or the space on which it shines; the direct rays of the sun, or the place where they fall.
  • noun Figuratively, the state of being cheered by an influence acting like the rays of the sun; anything having a genial or beneficial influence; brightness; cheerfulness.
  • Sunny; sunshiny; hence, prosperous; untroubled.
  • Of or pertaining to the sunshine; of a fair-weather sort.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The light of the sun, or the place where it shines; the direct rays of the sun, the place where they fall, or the warmth and light which they give.
  • noun Anything which has a warming and cheering influence like that of the rays of the sun; warmth; illumination; brightness.
  • adjective Sunshiny; bright.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun UK Friendly form of address often reserved for juniors.
  • noun UK Ironic form of address used to an inferior or troublemaker.
  • noun humorous Used to address someone who has just woken up and/or is very sleepy.
  • adjective Open to and permitting public access, especially with regard to activities that were previously closed-door or back-room meetings.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun moderate weather; suitable for outdoor activities
  • noun the rays of the sun
  • noun the quality of being cheerful and dispelling gloom

Etymologies

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Examples

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  • There's sunshine in the heart of me,

    My blood sings in the breeze;

    The mountains are a part of me,

    I'm fellow to the trees.

    My golden youth I'm squandering,

    Sun-libertine am I;

    A-wandering, a-wandering

    Until the day I die.

    --E.R. Burroughs

    March 10, 2007

  • An American winker, David Sheinson, also abbrev. "Sunsch." (I love this usage.)

    August 27, 2008

  • You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine,

    You make me happy when skies are grey.

    You'll never know dear, how much I love you.

    Please don't take my Sunshine away.

    -Jimmie Davis

    August 2, 2009