What does "glue" mean?
A hard gelatin made by boiling bones and hides, used in solution as an adhesive; or any sticky adhesive substance.
Glue
/ɡluː/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A hard gelatin made by boiling bones and hides, used in solution as an adhesive; or any sticky adhesive substance.
- Grammar: glue is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accouple, accumulate, adhere, adherent.
- Useful contrasts: detach, dissociation, disunify.
- Usage evidence: Some furniture is put together with glue.
How to use "glue"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "glue" 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 "glue" 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 "glue" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "glue" 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 "glue" is acting as noun, verb 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 "accouple" 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 "glue", 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 hard gelatin made by boiling bones and hides, used in solution as an adhesive; or any sticky adhesive substance. countable, uncountable
"Near-synonyms: adhesive, cement"
- 2 cement consisting of a sticky substance that is used as an adhesive wordnet
- 3 Anything that binds two things or people together. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"What is a kiss ? Why this, as some approve, / The sure sweet cement, glue, and lime of love."
- 4 A viscid secretion on the surface of certain plants. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To join or attach something using glue. transitive
"I need to glue the chair-leg back into place."
- 2 be fixed as if by glue wordnet
- 3 To cause something to adhere closely to; to cause to follow attentively. figuratively, transitive
"His eyes were glued to the screen."
- 4 join or attach with or as if with glue wordnet
- 5 To apply glue. intransitive
""This is how the whiskers went, I think. Cut long strips of paper—I'm just using a second paper bag here—and run the flat edge of the scissors down the strip to make it curl. Voilà. Then glue each whisker, like so, next to the nose, four on a side." She was watching. I glued quickly so I wouldn't lose her."
Antonyms
Example
"Some furniture is put together with glue."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "glue"?
Common synonyms include: accouple, accumulate, adhere, adherent, adhesive, adhesive.
How do you use "glue" in a sentence?
Some furniture is put together with glue.
How do you pronounce "glue"?
Pronounced /ɡluː/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gleyH- Proto-Indo-European *glóh₁ytn̥ Proto-Italic *gloiten Latin glūten Late Latin glūs Old French glubor. Middle English glew English glue From Middle English glew, glue, from Old French glu (“glue, birdlime”), from Late Latin glūs (stem glūt-), from Latin glūten. Related to clay. Partially displaced native Old English līm (“glue”) and ġelīman (“to glue”) (whence modern lime).