Added 9 October 2026
gloss
/ɡlɒs/ noun
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about gloss at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- An explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text.
- An alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a text on that field.
- The property of being smooth and shiny.
verb
- Give a shine or gloss to, usually by rubbing.
-
Provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases.
He annotated on what his teacher had written
- Provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase.
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)