glue

noun

\ˈglü

Definition of glue

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : any of various strong adhesive substances especially : a hard protein chiefly gelatinous substance that absorbs water to form a viscous solution with strong adhesive properties and that is obtained by cooking down collagenous materials (such as hides or bones)

b : a solution of glue used for sticking things together

2 : something that binds together enough social glue … to satisfy the human desire for community— E. D. Hirsch, Jr.

glue

verb

glued; gluing also glueing

Definition of glue (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to cause to stick tightly with or as if with glue gluing the parts together used that war to glue together a frail story— Gloria Emerson

2 : to cause to remain continuously or to be fixed steadily —usually used with to the spectators were glued to their seatsall eyes glued to the TV screen

Other Words from glue Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about glue

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Synonyms for glue

Synonyms: Noun

adhesive, bond, cement, size

Examples of glue in a Sentence

Noun

The hardware store offers several different glues. used glue to stick the photo in the album

Verb

I glued the pieces of the cup back together.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Removable adhesive strips might be better than glue, but iFixit still prefers reusable screws, and the report is also critical about the lack of upgradeable RAM or storage. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "iFixit’s MacBook Air teardown is here, and there’s good and bad news," 9 Nov. 2018 Top with a doughnut, then use a dab of frosting to act as glue and sandwich with another doughnut. — Woman's Day Test Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Frankenstein and His Bride Cupcakes," 2 Oct. 2018 Stuffing is the glue that holds this family together. — Alyssa Fiorentino, House Beautiful, "25 Thanksgiving Instagram Captions Nobody Can Resist," 31 Aug. 2018 He was soon followed by Glory Grant, a black woman who was a secretary at the paper who was the glue that kept the office together. — Michael Sangiacomo, cleveland.com, "Black characters get their due in modern comics (photos)," 18 Feb. 2018 Manufacturers have to consider every millimeter of glue that’s used to keep them together, lest the extra material block the signal. — Alexander George, Popular Mechanics, "Why Your Bluetooth Headphones Don’t Work Right," 5 Dec. 2017 Love: the word is applied like glue, keeping this vast book in one preposterous piece. — Tobi Haslett, The New Yorker, "The Man Who Led the Harlem Renaissance—and His Hidden Hungers," 11 May 2018 Care had to be taken to make sure no materials were used that could melt—like the glue that holds the thermal shield together. — Eric Niiler, WIRED, "NASA's New Parker Probe Will Skim the Sun's Surface," 28 Mar. 2018 The cement-like solution acts like a bone glue to provide rigidity, stability and support. — Tj Gibson, azcentral, "Outpatient back surgery? It's possible.," 14 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Last October, Swiss archaeologists were presented with a momentous and possibly history-making discovery: a bronze hand with a gold cuff glued to its wrist, alongside what appeared to be a withered dagger and a human rib. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "3,500-Year-Old Swiss Relic Might Be Europe's Oldest Bronze Sculpture," 26 Sep. 2018 Pedestrians with their eyes glued to their phones might walk into the street without checking for oncoming traffic. — Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, "Death on foot: Distracted driving, cell phones seen as factors," 28 June 2018 Two dads and their kids sat several rows ahead, eyes glued to the big screen. — Lindsay Ellis, Houston Chronicle, "Houstonians cheer Mexico to World Cup win," 17 June 2018 But for those who are willing to suspended disbelief and don't mind looking beyond CGI, the best sci-fi titles are filled with more than enough action, drama, comedy, and even romance to keep any movie fan glued to the screen. — Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, "The 7 Best Sci-Fi Movies You Can Stream Right Now, From Rogue One to The Matrix," 22 May 2018 There's no audience of celebrities and upscale collectors glued to the action, programs in hand and trophy girlfriends or boyfriends at their sides. — Russ Wiles, azcentral, "Ever wonder where used cars on Arizona's dealer lots come from? This is where," 23 Mar. 2018 Ohtani’s new teammates spend his plate appearances and innings on the mound glued to the dugout rail. — Stephanie Apstein, SI.com, "The Greatest Curiosity: Shoehei Ohtani Fashions the Angels Into Baseball's Most Interesting Team," 19 Mar. 2018 Apple shareholders Jana Partners and the California teacher pension group CalSTRS sent Apple a letter in January pressing the company to do more to address any negative consequences of children keeping their eyes glued to their electronics. — Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, "Apple Adds New Website That Teaches Parents How to Better Control Their Children Online," 15 Mar. 2018 The journey into startup hell culminates in Paper Boi attempting to perform for an office of white millennials glued to their computers. — Matt Miller, Esquire, "Atlanta Has Perfected the Lame White Millennial," 9 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.