Link Centre Dictionary

gloss

UK/ɡlɒs/ US/ɡlɔs/ uncommon obsolete us
noun (4) verb (4)

noun

1.

an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text

Synonyms
2.

an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a text on that field

Synonyms
3.

the property of being smooth and shiny

Synonyms
4.

an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading

  • “he hoped his claims would have a semblance of authenticity”
  • “he tried to give his falsehood the gloss of moral sanction”
  • “the situation soon took on a different color”
Synonyms

verb

1.
2.

provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases

  • “He annotated on what his teacher had written”
Synonyms
3.
4.

gloss or excuse

  • “color a lie”
Synonyms

Origin

Probably from a North Germanic language, compare Icelandic glossi (“spark, flame”), glossa (“to flame”); or perhaps from dialectal Dutch gloos (“a glow, flare”), related to West Frisian gloeze (“a glow”), Middle Low German glȫsen (“to smoulder, glow”), German glosen (“to smoulder”); ultimately from Proto-Germanic *glus- (“to glow, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰel- (“to flourish; be green or yellow”). More at glow.

Phrases

  • ethnic gloss
  • gloss paper
  • sign gloss

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

See also

Entails

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.