Word of the Day

: July 29, 2018

gloss

verb GLAHSS

What It Means

1 a : to provide a brief explanation or interpretation for : explain, define

b : interpret

2 : to dispose of by false or perverse interpretation

gloss in Context

Although not intended for the layperson, the text is relatively free of jargon and most of the technical vocabulary has been glossed. 

"At times, however, the author doesn't tell quite enough. For example, he glosses the phrase 'kickapoo joy juice' as sportswriter Red Smith's 'frontier euphemism for a blazing fastball.' He should have gone on to explain that Smith lifted the term from Al Capp, the creator of 'Li'l Abner.'" — Dennis Drabelle, The Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2013

Did You Know?

You likely know gloss as a noun meaning "shine," or as part of the phrase gloss over, meaning "to treat or describe (something) as if it were not important," but those uses are unrelated to today's featured word. Today's verb comes from the noun gloss that refers primarily to a brief explanation. It is Greek in origin, coming from glossa or glotta, meaning "tongue," "language," or "obscure word." Glossary is from this same root, as are two anatomical terms: glottis refers to the elongated space between the vocal cords and also to the structures that surround this space; epiglottis refers to the thin plate of flexible cartilage in front of the glottis that folds back over and protects the glottis during swallowing.