Scintilla
The smallest imaginable trace of something. Literally, a spark.
Full definition of Scintilla →:: COMPARE ::
ScintillavsScintillate
The short answer
Same Latin spark, opposite scale. Scintilla is the tiniest possible amount; scintillate is that spark repeated until something dazzles.
Side by side
| Aspect | Scintilla | Scintillate |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Minimum | Many |
| Part of speech | Noun | Verb |
| Effect | Almost nothing | Dazzle |
| Shared root | scintilla | scintillare |
What each one means
Scintillate
The contrast above sets out how Scintillate differs from Scintilla on the points that actually matter.