shimmer vs alteration

shimmer and alteration both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
shimmer	Yes	No	Yes	No
alteration	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, alteration is a hypernym of shimmer; that is, alteration is a word with a broader meaning than shimmer:

shimmer: a weak and tremulous light
alteration: an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another

Other hypernyms of shimmer include change, modification.

shimmer (noun)	alteration (noun)
a weak and tremulous light	the act of revising or altering (involving reconsideration and modification)
	the act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment)
	an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another

shimmer (verb)	alteration (verb)
give off a shimmering reflection, as of silk
shine with a weak or fitful light