gloss

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈgläs How to pronounce gloss (audio)
ˈglȯs
1
: a surface luster or brightness : shine
2
a
: a deceptively attractive appearance
selfishness that had a gloss of humanitarianism about it
b
: bright often superficial attractiveness
show-biz gloss
3
: a viscous usually tinted cosmetic preparation used for adding shine and usually color to the lips : lip gloss

gloss

2 of 4

verb (1)

glossed; glossing; glosses

transitive verb

1
a
: to mask the true nature of : give a deceptively attractive appearance to
used with over
the misery was general, where not glossed over by liberal application of alcoholMarston Bates
b
: to deal with (a subject or problem) too lightly or not at all
used with over
glosses over scholarly controversies rather than confronting them head-onJohn Israel
2
: to give a gloss to

gloss

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
: a brief explanation (as in the margin or between the lines of a text) of a difficult or obscure word or expression
b
: a false and often willfully misleading interpretation (as of a text)
2
a
b
: an interlinear translation
c
: a continuous commentary accompanying a text
3

gloss

4 of 4

verb (2)

glossed; glossing; glosses

transitive verb

1
a
: to provide a gloss for : explain, define
b
2
: to dispose of by false or perverse interpretation
trying to gloss away the irrationalities of the universeIrwin Edman

Did you know?

The verb gloss, referring to a brief explanation, comes from Greek glôssa, meaning "tongue," "language," or "obscure word." There is also the familiar phrase gloss over, meaning "to deal with (something) too lightly or not at all." That gloss is related to Germanic glosen, "to glow or shine," and comes from the noun gloss, which in English can refer to a shine on a surface or to a superficial attractiveness that is easily dismissed.

Examples of gloss in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Such glosses are merely the patient commentator doing her best to see things from the world view of the Bible itself. James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Michelle Yeoh’s Guide to Skincare Squats and a 10-Minute Makeup Look Once the balayage pieces are in, the color can be tweaked using in-salon glosses, which add a healthy shine and deposit a semi-permanent veil (around 20 washes’ worth) of color over the hair. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2024 Her lips were lined with a dark red lip liner and filled in with a red gloss a few shades lighter for an ombré effect similar to the cherry cola lips that have been trending on TikTok. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Jan. 2024 Select: Online Shopping, Simplified This month has seen the release of new Amazon Echo smart glasses; wash pods for cleaning water bottles, travel mugs and coffee pots; and hair gloss that not only boosts shine but protects against heat tools. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024 Bespoke to the 2024 Bentley Flying Spur S are 21-inch wheels finished in black gloss and bright machined faces that complement the black exterior trims. Kyle Edward, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Finally, Jennings went over the eyes and lips with a dewy gloss– tying the face together. Valerie Butler, Essence, 10 Feb. 2024 Ahead, some of the glossy balms, glosses, and oils that Allure editors love to have on their lips. Annie Blay, Allure, 5 Feb. 2024 In the 15-second clip, the Grammy winner holds a tube of the brand’s Duck Plump gloss and looks at it dubiously. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2024
Verb
The front bumper is sportier, and gloss black accents are used in place of chrome, as well as on the aerodynamic bits like the various air vents and diffusers. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 10 July 2023 Zappos also has classic Hunter glossed rain boots for dreary in-between weather, and for drier days, the stylish Bearpaw Emma Tall Youth Boots are as low as $20 right now. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 27 Dec. 2023 Get the recipe > Espresso Waffles with Mocha Drizzle Espresso powder and almond flour give a bittersweet edge to these waffles, which are glossed with a decadent sauce of coffee, condensed milk, and dark chocolate. Megan Zhang, Saveur, 21 Dec. 2023 The panelists then put their biographical expertise to use by glossing the fiction writers who most inspired Roth, especially from a young age. Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023 Smoke & Dough draws on that heritage and its savory-sweet palette, and answers the question of what true Miami barbecue might taste like: ribs glossed with guava-ancho barbecue sauce, brisket rubbed with Cuban coffee, housemade pastrami tequeños, black beans baked with pineapple. Melissa Clark, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023 L’oreal Professionnel Liss Control Serum was used to gloss the ends of braids. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 21 Sep. 2023 There is this notion that kids are like, [influenced by] Kylie Jenner and this injectable [culture] and have to look presentable and glossed up all the time. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2023 Her decision is a poignant nod to climate change, but it could also be glossed as a salvo against a controlling parent. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gloss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

akin to Middle High German glosen to glow, shine; akin to Old English geolu yellow

Noun (2)

alteration (by conformation to its Latin and Greek source) of glose, gloze, going back to Middle English glose, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin glōsa, glōssa "tongue, language, commentary on a word or passage, compilation of such commentaries" (Latin, "collection of unfamiliar words"), borrowed from Greek glôssa, (Attic) glôtta, (Ionic) glássa "tongue, language, obscure word requiring explanation," derivative in *-i̯ā from the stem of a presumed root noun *glṓks "point, something pointed," perhaps going back to an Indo-European nominative *glōgh-s, genitive *gl̥gh-ós; from the same base Greek glôches "awns of a head of grain," glōchī́s "projecting point (as the end of a yoke fastening or the barb of an arrow)"

Note: Despite its Indo-European look, this set of Greek words has no definite congeners in other Indo-European languages; kinship with Slavic *glogŭ "hawthorn" (Czech hloh, Polish głóg, Serbian & Croatian glȍg; Russian glog "dogwood") is uncertain.

Verb (2)

alteration (after gloss entry 3) of glose, gloze, going back to Middle English glosen, borrowed from Anglo-French gloser, borrowed from Medieval Latin glōsāre, glōssāre, verbal derivative of glōsa, glōssa "commentary on a word or passage, compilation of such commentaries" — more at gloss entry 3

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gloss was in 1538

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Dictionary Entries Near gloss

Cite this Entry

“Gloss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gloss. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gloss

1 of 2 noun
ˈgläs How to pronounce gloss (audio)
ˈglȯs
1
: brightness from a smooth surface : luster, sheen
2
: a falsely attractive appearance
a thin gloss of good manners

gloss

2 of 2 verb
1
: to give a gloss to
2
: to smooth over : make falsely attractive
gloss over one's mistakes

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