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Gloss

//ɡlɒs// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A surface shine or luster. uncountable, usually
  2. 2
    A brief explanatory note or translation of a foreign, archaic, technical, difficult, complex, or uncommon expression, inserted after the original, in the margin of a document, or between lines of a text. countable

    "All this, without a gloss or comment, / He would unriddle in a moment."

  3. 3
    an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading wordnet
  4. 4
    A superficially or deceptively attractive appearance. figuratively, uncountable, usually

    "."

  5. 5
    Synonym of glossary, a collection of such notes. countable
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  1. 6
    the property of being smooth and shiny wordnet
  2. 7
    An expression requiring such explanatory treatment. countable, obsolete
  3. 8
    an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a text on that field wordnet
  4. 9
    An extensive commentary on some text. countable
  5. 10
    an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text wordnet
  6. 11
    An interpretation by a court of a specific point within a statute or case law. US, countable

    "This volume is thus not a narrowly defined treatment of the Code of Professional Responsibility but rather represents a "common law" gloss on it."

  7. 12
    A definition or explanation of a word sense.

    "Dictionary entries comprise two essential parts, the headword ('lemma') and the author's explanation ('gloss')."

Verb
  1. 1
    To give a gloss or sheen to. transitive
  2. 2
    To add a gloss to (a text). transitive
  3. 3
    give a deceptive explanation or excuse for wordnet
  4. 4
    To make (something) attractive by deception transitive

    "You have the art to gloss the foulest cause."

  5. 5
    provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    To become shiny. intransitive
  2. 7
    provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases wordnet
  3. 8
    Used in a phrasal verb: gloss over (“to cover up a mistake or crime, to treat something with less care than it deserves”). idiomatic, transitive
  4. 9
    give a shine or gloss to, usually by rubbing wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

From Middle English glosse, glose, from Late Latin glōssa (“obsolete or foreign word requiring explanation”), from Ancient Greek γλῶσσα (glôssa, “language”). Doublet of glossa.

Etymology 4

From Middle English glossen, glosen, from Old French gloser and Medieval Latin glossāre.

See also for "gloss"

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