scintillation

noun4

1. •
   A flash of light; a spark.
2. •
   The flash of light produced by something (especially a phosphor) when it absorbs ionizing radiation.
3. •
   The twinkling of a star or other celestial body caused by turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere.
4. •
   (figurative) A brief expression that is amusing or clever; witticism.

   • […]here and there were Latin inscriptions—obscene scintillations of wit[…] — 1869