gluten

noun

glu·​ten ˈglü-tᵊn 

: a tenacious elastic protein substance especially of wheat flour that gives cohesiveness to dough

glutenous

ˈglü-tə-nəs 

ˈglüt-nəs

adjective

Examples of gluten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On several occasions, she’s made gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian meals, if there were no volunteers available to make them, Stangl said. —Alyssa N. Salcedo, jsonline.com, 21 Nov. 2025

Banza Banza was founded in Detroit in 2014 by brothers Brian and Scott Rudolph, who created a high-protein, gluten-free pasta made from chickpeas instead of wheat. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 21 Nov. 2025

With pastry dough, some gluten is necessary for dough to keep its shape in the pan. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Nov. 2025

That sense of belonging carried her through the hardest parts of learning to live gluten-free. —Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin glutin-, gluten glue — more at clay

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gluten

• pluton
• rutin

Kids Definition

gluten

noun

glu·​ten ˈglüt-ᵊn 

: a tough elastic protein substance in flour especially from wheat that holds together dough and makes it sticky

Medical Definition

gluten

noun

glu·​ten ˈglüt-ᵊn 

: a gluey protein substance especially of wheat flour that causes dough to be sticky

glutenous

ˈglüt-nəs, -ᵊn-əs 

adjective