What does "gleek" mean?
A once-popular game of cards played by three people.
Gleek
/ɡliːk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A once-popular game of cards played by three people.
- Grammar: gleek is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: mock.
- Usage evidence: Lady Loadstone: Laugh, and keep company, at gleek or crimp. / Mistress Polish: Your ladyship says right, crimp sure will cure her.
How to use "gleek"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gleek" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gleek" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gleek" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gleek" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gleek" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mock" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gleek", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A once-popular game of cards played by three people. uncountable
"Lady Loadstone: Laugh, and keep company, at gleek or crimp. / Mistress Polish: Your ladyship says right, crimp sure will cure her."
- 2 A jest or scoff; trick or deception.
"Where's the Baſtards braues, and Charles his glikes: What all amort?"
- 3 A geek who is involved in a glee club, choir, or singing. slang
- 4 A fan of the television show Glee. slang
"I'm more of a Gleek myself."
- 5 Three of the same cards held in one hand; three of a kind. countable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 An enticing glance or look.
"A pretty gleek coming from Pallas' eye:"
- 7 A stream of saliva from a person's mouth. informal
Verb
- 1 To ridicule, or mock; to make sport of. obsolete, transitive
"I have seen you gleeking and / galling at this gentleman twice or thrice."
- 2 To jest. intransitive, obsolete
"[…] that ſome honeſt neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleeke vpon occaſion."
- 3 To pass time frivolously. intransitive, obsolete
- 4 To discharge a long, thin stream of liquid (including saliva) through the teeth or from under the tongue, sometimes by pressing the tongue against the salivary glands. informal
"i just push the tip of my tongue against the roof of my mouth and saliva squirts out in a groovy little arc. i think you'd really have to see it to know what i am talking about. but you can gleek best right after chewing big red gum."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Lady Loadstone: Laugh, and keep company, at gleek or crimp. / Mistress Polish: Your ladyship says right, crimp sure will cure her."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gleek"?
Common synonyms include: mock.
How do you use "gleek" in a sentence?
Lady Loadstone: Laugh, and keep company, at gleek or crimp. / Mistress Polish: Your ladyship says right, crimp sure will cure her.
How do you pronounce "gleek"?
Pronounced /ɡliːk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle French glic, from Old French glic (“a game of cards”), of Germanic origin from or related to Middle High German glücke, gelücke (“luck”) and Middle Dutch gelīc (“like, alike”). More at luck, like.
Etymology 2
Related to Etymology 1. Of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse *gleikr, leikr (“sport, play, game”), from Proto-Germanic *galaikaz (“jump, play”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyg-. Cognate with Old English ġelācan (“to play a trick on, delude”), Scots glaik (“a glance of the eye, deception, trick”, n.), Scots glaik (“to trick, trifle with”, v.). More at lake.
Etymology 3
Blend of glee + geek.
Etymology 4
Blend of Glee and geek