Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Gloss"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Gloss \Gloss\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Glossed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Glossing}.]
To give a superficial luster or gloss to; to make smooth and
shining; as, to gloss cloth.
The glossed and gleamy wave. --J. R. Drake.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Gloss \Gloss\, n. [Cf. Icel. glossi a blaze, glys finery, MHG.
glosen to glow, G. glosten to glimmer; perh. akin to E.
glass.]
1. Brightness or luster of a body proceeding from a smooth
surface; polish; as, the gloss of silk; cloth is
calendered to give it a gloss.
It is no part . . . to set on the face of this cause
any fairer gloss than the naked truth doth afford.
--Hooker.
2. A specious appearance; superficial quality or show.
To me more dear, congenial to my heart, One native
charm than all the gloss of art. --Goldsmith.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Gloss \Gloss\, n. [OE. glose, F. glose, L. glossa a difficult
word needing explanation, fr. Gr. ? tongue, language, word
needing explanation. Cf. {Gloze}, {Glossary}, {Glottis}.]
1. A foreign, archaic, technical, or other uncommon word
requiring explanation. [Obs.]
2. An interpretation, consisting of one or more words,
interlinear or marginal; an explanatory note or comment; a
running commentary.
All this, without a gloss or comment, He would
unriddle in a moment. --Hudibras.
Explaining the text in short glosses. --T. Baker.
3. A false or specious explanation. --Dryden.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Gloss \Gloss\, v. t.
1. To render clear and evident by comments; to illustrate; to
explain; to annotate.
2. To give a specious appearance to; to render specious and
plausible; to palliate by specious explanation.
You have the art to gloss the foulest cause.
--Philips.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Gloss \Gloss\, v. i.
1. To make comments; to comment; to explain. --Dryden.
2. To make sly remarks, or insinuations. --Prior.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Glossa \Glos"sa\, n.; pl. {Gloss?}. [NL., fr. Gr. ? the tongue.]
(Zo["o]l.)
The tongue, or lingua, of an insect. See {Hymenoptera}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
gloss
n 1: an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text
[syn: {rubric}]
2: an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized
field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a
text on that field [syn: {glossary}]
3: the property of being smooth and shiny [syn: {polish}, {glossiness},
{burnish}]
v 1: make shiny [syn: {polish}]
2: provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases [syn:
{comment}]
3: provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase
4: gloss or excuse; "color a lie" [syn: {color}, {colour}]
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