GLOSS

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does gloss mean? 

• GLOSS (noun)
  The noun GLOSS has 4 senses:

1. an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text

2. an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a text on that field

3. the property of being smooth and shiny

4. an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading

  Familiarity information: GLOSS used as a noun is uncommon.

• GLOSS (verb)
  The verb GLOSS has 4 senses:

1. give a shine or gloss to, usually by rubbing

2. provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases

3. provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase

4. give a deceptive explanation or excuse for

  Familiarity information: GLOSS used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GLOSS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

gloss; rubric

Hypernyms ("gloss" is a kind of...):

account; explanation (a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.)

Derivation:

gloss (provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase)

gloss (provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a text on that field

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

gloss; glossary

Hypernyms ("gloss" is a kind of...):

wordbook (a reference book containing words (usually with their meanings))

Derivation:

gloss (provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase)

gloss (provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The property of being smooth and shiny

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

burnish; gloss; glossiness; polish

Hypernyms ("gloss" is a kind of...):

smoothness (a texture without roughness; smooth to the touch)

effulgence; radiance; radiancy; refulgence; refulgency; shine (the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gloss"):

French polish (the glaze produced by repeated applications of French polish shellac)

glaze (a glossy finish on a fabric)

Derivation:

gloss (give a shine or gloss to, usually by rubbing)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

color; colour; gloss; semblance

Context example:

the situation soon took on a different color

Hypernyms ("gloss" is a kind of...):

appearance; visual aspect (outward or visible aspect of a person or thing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gloss"):

color of law; colour of law (a mere semblance of legal right; something done with the apparent authority of law but actually in contravention of law)

simulacrum (an insubstantial or vague semblance)

face value (the apparent worth as opposed to the real worth)

guise; pretence; pretense; pretext (an artful or simulated semblance)

camouflage; disguise (an outward semblance that misrepresents the true nature of something)

verisimilitude (the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true)

Derivation:

gloss (give a deceptive explanation or excuse for)

• GLOSS (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they gloss    ... he / she / it glosses   
Past simple: glossed   
Past participle: glossed   
-ing form: glossing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give a shine or gloss to, usually by rubbing

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "gloss" is one way to...):

polish; shine; smooth; smoothen (make (a surface) shine)

"Gloss" entails doing...:

rub (move over something with pressure)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Also:

gloss over (cover up a misdemeanor, fault, or error)

gloss over (treat hurriedly or avoid dealing with properly)

Derivation:

gloss (the property of being smooth and shiny)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

annotate; comment; gloss

Context example:

He annotated on what his teacher had written

Hypernyms (to "gloss" is one way to...):

interpret; rede (give an interpretation or explanation to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

gloss (an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a text on that field)

gloss (an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "gloss" is one way to...):

interpret; render; translate (restate (words) from one language into another language)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

gloss (an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a text on that field)

gloss (an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Give a deceptive explanation or excuse for

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

color; colour; gloss

Context example:

color a lie

Hypernyms (to "gloss" is one way to...):

apologise; apologize; excuse; rationalise; rationalize (defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

gloss (an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading)

 Context examples 

I could see that she was pretty, and from the gloss with which the light shone upon her dark dress I knew that it was a rich material.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Whether they or their judges had any part in penning those laws, which they assumed the liberty of interpreting, and glossing upon at their pleasure?

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

His work at the anvil had developed his arms to their utmost, and his healthy country living gave a sleek gloss to his ivory skin, which shone in the lamplight.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

All the stiffness and gloss had gone out of his beautiful furry coat.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

The other, however, though near a foot shorter, was a man of great strength; and there was a gloss upon his white skin which was wanting in the heavier limbs of the renegade monk.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Her eager defence of her brother, her hope of its being hushed up, her evident agitation, were all of a piece with something very bad; and if there was a woman of character in existence, who could treat as a trifle this sin of the first magnitude, who would try to gloss it over, and desire to have it unpunished, she could believe Miss Crawford to be the woman!

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

My seat, to which Bessie and the bitter Miss Abbot had left me riveted, was a low ottoman near the marble chimney-piece; the bed rose before me; to my right hand there was the high, dark wardrobe, with subdued, broken reflections varying the gloss of its panels; to my left were the muffled windows; a great looking-glass between them repeated the vacant majesty of the bed and room.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

It was true, there was a perceptible halt midway in her assertion, which she glossed over with more tears and kisses and incoherent stammerings, and which Martin inferred to be her appeal for forgiveness for the time she had lacked faith in him and insisted on his getting a job.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Laurie did not read all this while he watched her feed the peacocks, but he saw enough to satisfy and interest him, and carried away a pretty little picture of a bright-faced girl standing in the sunshine, which brought out the soft hue of her dress, the fresh color of her cheeks, the golden gloss of her hair, and made her a prominent figure in the pleasant scene.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

She could think of nothing better: and though there was something in it which her own heart could not approve—something of ingratitude, merely glossed over—it must be done, or what would become of Harriet?

(Emma, by Jane Austen)