What does "glove" mean?
An item of clothing, covering all or part of the hand and fingers, but usually allowing independent movement of the fingers.
Glove
/ɡlʌv/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An item of clothing, covering all or part of the hand and fingers, but usually allowing independent movement of the fingers.
- Grammar: glove is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: baseball glove, baseball mitt, battle cry, bid to combat.
- Useful contrasts: bare hand, doff, drop.
- Usage evidence: The glove has a hole in the thumb.
How to use "glove"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "glove" 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 "glove" 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 "glove" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "glove" 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 "glove" 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 "baseball glove" 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.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "glove", 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 An item of clothing, covering all or part of the hand and fingers, but usually allowing independent movement of the fingers.
"I wore gloves to keep my hands warm."
- 2 the handwear used by fielders in playing baseball wordnet
- 3 A baseball mitt.
- 4 boxing equipment consisting of big and padded coverings for the fists of the fighters; worn for the sport of boxing wordnet
- 5 The ability to catch a hit ball. figuratively
"Frederico had a great glove, but he couldn't hit a curveball, so he never broke into the pros."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 handwear: covers the hand and wrist wordnet
- 7 A condom. slang
- 8 A challenge from one to another. with-definite-article
"to throw down the glove, i.e. to offer a challenge; to take up the glove, to accept it"
Verb
- 1 To catch the ball in a baseball mitt. transitive
"He gloved the line drive for the third out."
- 2 To put a glove or gloves on. transitive
"Maxwell gloved his hand so that he wouldn't leave fingerprints, then pulled the trigger."
- 3 To touch (a delivery) with one's glove while the gloved hand is on the bat. Under the rules of cricket, the batsman is deemed to have hit the ball.
Synonyms
All synonyms baseball glovebaseball mittbattle crybid to combatboxing glovebrass knuckles
Example
"The glove has a hole in the thumb."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "glove"?
Common synonyms include: baseball glove, baseball mitt, battle cry, bid to combat, boxing glove, brass knuckles.
How do you use "glove" in a sentence?
The glove has a hole in the thumb.
How do you pronounce "glove"?
Pronounced /ɡlʌv/.
Etymology
From Middle English glove, glofe, from Old English glōf, *glōfe, *glōfa, ("glove"; weak forms attested only in plural form glōfan (“gloves”)), from Proto-Germanic *galōfô (“glove”), from Proto-Germanic *ga- (“collective and associative prefix”) + Proto-Germanic *lōfô (“flat of the hand, palm”), from Proto-Indo-European *lāp-, *lēp-, *lep- (“flat”). Cognate with Scots gluve, gluive (“glove”), Icelandic glófi (“glove”). Related to Middle English lofe, lufe (“palm of the hand”). More at loof.