gloss

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈgläs 

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 alcohol

—Marston 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-on

—John 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

: glossary

b

: an interlinear translation

c

: a continuous commentary accompanying a text

3

: commentary, interpretation

gloss

4 of 4

verb (2)

glossed; glossing; glosses

transitive verb

1

a

: to provide a gloss for : explain, define

b

: interpret

2

: to dispose of by false or perverse interpretation

trying to gloss away the irrationalities of the universe

—Irwin 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.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• facade
• façade
• veneer
• window dressing

Verb (1)

• deodorize
• excuse
• explain away
• extenuate
• gloze (over)
• palliate
• whitewash

Examples of gloss in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Such sanguine glosses on an unfettered market as the best of all possible worlds dovetailed with Friedman’s relentlessly sunny disposition. —Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023

And this product involves less sting overall than the usual plumping gloss. —Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 13 Nov. 2023

To restore shine, try a gloss treatment to reinstate that vinyl effect. —Georgia Day, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2023

Black toes, dark liner and pink gloss tied it all together. —Essence Beauty Editors, Essence, 30 Oct. 2023

The mirrored vanity storage case holds 75 pieces of nail art, body glitter, eye shadows, brushes, lip glosses, glitter gloss, and more. —Maya Polton, Parents, 7 Nov. 2023

Stir in pecans and vanilla; stir 1 to 2 minutes until mixture begins to lose its gloss. —Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2023

The smooth, creamy texture is easy to reapply in the bathroom while at a beauty dinner, or to shade in the lips underneath a clear gloss. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 25 Oct. 2023

At her show in San Diego, for example, her lips were lined in a dark chestnut shade with a warm, golden gloss to complement her hair. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 26 Oct. 2023

Verb

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

Make space on the table for a straightforward tostada mixta glossed with garlicky salsa negra. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2023

The wheels were the sole big-ticket option at $3950, while the Night package, which swaps all the exterior brightwork to gloss black, tacked on another $750. —Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 13 June 2023

Complementing the dark elegance of her dress is her makeup look: classic minimal eyeliner and a dramatic red lip; her hair, currently a dark blonde, blown out and glossed to within an inch of its life. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 21 Feb. 2023

Don’t overlook a sleeper of Bloomsdale spinach lolling in roasted garlic broth and glossed with brown butter. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2023

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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

Phrases Containing gloss

• gloss over
• lip gloss

• gloss over
• lip gloss

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Kids Definition

gloss

1 of 2 noun

ˈgläs 

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