▪ I. gloss, n.1
(glɒs)
Also 6–7 glosse, 7–8 glos.
[var. of glose, gloze n., refashioned in 16th c. after L. glōssa, Gr. γλῶσσα in the same sense. (In the 15th c. the spelling glosse appears occas. for glos(e gloze n. and v.; see those words.)]
1. A word inserted between the lines or in the margin as an explanatory equivalent of a foreign or otherwise difficult word in the text; hence applied to a simliar explanatory rendering of a word given in a glossary or dictionary. Also, in a wider sense, a comment, explanation, interpretation. Often used in a sinister sense: A sophistical or disingenuous interpretation. (Cf. gloze n. 1.)
| 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. xxiii. 108 Like as by a glosse ye subuerte the commaundement. 1598 Drayton Heroic. Ep. vi. 109 The Canon Text shall have a common Glosse. 1608 Bp. Hall Vert. & Vices i. 15 Neither doth his tongue..make good a lie with the secret glosses of double or reserved senses. 1622 Sparrow Bk. Com. Prayer (1661) 66 The Church rather uses this..then any other Glosse or Paraphrase. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §49 Malicious Glosses made upon all he had said. 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. ii. (1739) 2 The ways of future providence may be looked upon as a gloss of those Prophecies. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 435. 1695 Kennett Par. Antiq. ix. 641 The gloss indeed destroys the text, by pretending the word [etc.]. a 1708 Beveridge Priv. Th. ii. (1730) 41 Nothing being more needful than to rescue the Words of our blessed Saviour from those false Glosses. 1767 Blackstone Comm. II. 495 A gloss of pope Innocent IV, written about the year 1250. a 1834 Coleridge Shaks. Notes (1875) 134 A parenthesis or gloss slipt into the text. 1837–9 Hallam Hist. Lit. I. i. i. §68. 63 Irnerius began the practice of making glosses, or short marginal explanations, on the law books. 1868 Kirk Chas. Bold III. v. ii. 363 Secret glosses..intended to make that part of the contract a nullity. 1875 Whitney Life Lang. x. 183 The Cymric includes the Welsh, with ‘glosses’ from the ninth century. |
b. A collection of such explanations, a glossary; also, an interlinear translation of, or series of verbal explanations upon, a continuous text.
| 1579 E. K. in Spenser's Sheph. Cal. Ep. Ded. §4 A..Glosse or scholion, for the exposition of old wordes. 1756–7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) II. 55 A manuscript Homer, with a gloss interlined, said to be five hundred years old. 1774 Warton Hist. Eng. Poetry Diss. ii. I. sig. E 3 b, A manuscript of Ovid's Art of Love, in very antient Saxon characters, accompanied with a British gloss. 1841 D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1859) II. 95 E. K...whose gloss has preserved much curious knowledge of ancient English terms and phrases. 1894 Clarke Hall Ags. Dict. Pref., Mostly obscure words only found in glosses. |
¶ c. In the sense of Gr. γλῶσσα: A foreign or other obscure word, requiring explanation. Obs.—1 (Hardly an Eng. sense, though given in some recent Dicts., app. on the ground of quot. 1837–9).
| 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 28 The interpretations of obscure termes, which we call Glosses. 1837–9 Hallam Hist. Lit. I. i. i. (1847) 62 A gloss, γλῶσσα, properly meant a word from a foreign language, or an obsolete or poetical word, or whatever requires interpretation. |
2. A poetical composition in which a stanza of some well-known poem is treated as a text for amplification, each of the successive stanzas of the ‘gloss’ being made to end with one of the lines or couplets of the text.
| 1598 Yong Diana 437 He sung a glosse vpon this Dittie. 1823 Roscoe Sismondi's Lit. Eur. (1846) II. xxxix. 538 Each verse is intended to form the subject of a strophe, in the gloss, or comment. |
3. attrib. and Comb.
| 1624 Bedell Lett. iii. 64 Although the Glosse writer were no excellent Calculator. 1648 W. Jenkyn Blind Guide iv. 87 According to G. the glossmaker. 1888 G. W. Prothero Life Bradshaw 237 A gloss-hunt was a genuine relaxation to him. |
▪ II. gloss, n.2
(glɒs)
Also 6–7 glosse; and see glass n.3
[First recorded in 16th c.; cf. Du. (obs.) gloos a glowing, gleaming = MHG. glos, glose (still extant in Swiss dialects); Sw. (dial.) glossa, glåsa to gleam, glow (of coals), to shine (of cloth), Icel. glossi a blaze (see gloze v.3). A variant glass (see glass n. 13) appears about the same date, perh. as a substitute for the less familiar word.]
1. a. Superficial lustre. Also pl.
| 1538 Elyot Dict., Cantharis uel Cantharida..a greene worme shynynge with a glosse of golde. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 65 Beinge in the rayne,..[he] standeth naked himself, for savynge the glosse of his gaye coate. 1594 Plat Jewell-ho. iii. 72 Some maintaine the glosse of this leather with a peece of black veluet onely. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 486 The glosse of the wool was..beautiful, for the purity of the black. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. i. 63 Our Garments being..drencht in the Sea, hold notwithstanding their freshnesse and glosses. 1680 Moxon Mech. Exerc. I. 221 They set a Gloss on it [Hard Wood] with a very dry Woollen Rag, lightly smear'd with Sallad Oyl. 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 157 Which [pebbles] all took so specious and elegant a gloss, that [etc.]. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) II. iv. iii. 396 Its [the Carcajou's] fur is held in the highest estimation, for its..beautiful gloss. 1828 Stark Elem. Nat. Hist. I. 249 Upper parts of the body brilliant copper-colour, with a golden gloss. 1855 Tennyson Maud i. xxii. ix, In gloss of satin and glimmer of pearls. 1874 T. Hardy Far from Madding Crowd II. i. 15 Amaranthine glosses came over them [clouds]. |
b. In obvious figurative uses. Also (sometimes perh. confused with gloss n.1), a deceptive appearance, fair semblance, plausible pretext.
| 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Luke xii. 1–7 Beware ye that all your life bee void of all cloking or countrefaicte glosse [L. ut omnis uita uestra fuco careat]. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Ep. 401 (margin) In the glosse of their glorie..that is, when they were most famous. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. v. 15 He much more goodly glosse thereon doth shed, To hide his falshood, then if it were trew. 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuffe (1871) 17 King John..in furthering of this new waterwork..set a fresh gloss upon it [Yarmouth]. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. ii. iii. 128 Yet all his vertues..Doe in our eyes, begin to loose their glosse. 1640 Yorke Union Hon. 1 The first Glosse that William Duke of Normandy had for this Crowne and Diadem of England, was thus. 1652 Culpepper Eng. Physic. (1809) 19 To put a gloss upon their practice, the physicians call an herb..Archangel. 1660 T. M. Hist. Independ. iv. 28 The better to cast a seeming gloss of legality upon his usurpation, he summons another Parliament. a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) I. 249 Art, That sets a Gloss on what's amiss. 1726 Swift Poems, To a Lady, You, like some acute philosopher, Ev'ry fault have drawn a gloss over. 1756 Burke Vind. Nat. Soc. Pref., There is a sort of gloss upon ingenious falsehoods, that dazzles the imagination. 1760–2 Goldsm. Cit. W. iii, The most trifling occurrences give pleasure till the gloss of novelty is worn away. 1761–2 Hume Hist. Eng. (1806) III. xxxix. 278 A woman thus..provides only thin glosses to cover her exceptionable conduct. 1834 J. H. Newman Par. Serm. (1837) I. iii. 45 The false gloss of a mere worldly refinement makes us decent and amiable. 1852 Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. xv, As the glosses and civilities of the honeymoon wore away, he discovered that [etc.]. 1872 Blackie Lays Highl. 24, I have used no gloss, no varnish To make fair things fairer look. |
2. A layer of glowing matter. rare. Also dial. of a fire: A bright glow.
| 1762 Gentl. Mag. 338 The earth being all on a fiery gloss for four inches deep. c 1817 Hogg Tales & Sk. IV. 54 The smith..covered the gloss neatly up with a mixture of small coals, culm, and cinders. 1893 Northumbld. Gloss. s.v., Ye can bake the cyek noo; the fire hes a fine gloss. |
3. † a. = glaze n. 1. Obs.
| 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 470 The earthenware is now ready to receive the smooth coating called glaze or gloss. |
b. Comb.: gloss-fireman, -oven (now glost-fireman, -oven: see glost); gloss-meter, a photometric device for measuring the gloss of surfaces; gloss paint, paint that contains varnish and gives a glossy finish; also gloss enamel.
| 1908 Sears, Roebuck Catal. 74/1 Seroco gloss enamel—a high gloss interior paint. 1926–7 Army & Navy Stores Catal. 297 Jackson's gloss black enamel. |
| 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 474 The gloss-fireman raises the temperature as quickly as possible to a height sufficient to fuse the glaze. |
| 1930 Jrnl. Optical Soc. Amer. XX. 24 The entire range of objective gloss..may be covered. The essentials of the gloss-meter are shown in Fig. 1. 1961 J. H. Goodier Dict. Painting & Decorating 118 The gloss meter works on the principle of directing a beam of light on to a painted panel and allowing the reflected beam to excite a galvanometer. 1962 New Scientist 10 May 299/3 Though the instrument has been developed specifically for pearls, the principle of the glossmeter can be adapted for measurements of the gloss of ball bearings and other industrial items with curved surfaces whose gloss may be a criterion of their excellence. |
| 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 474, The gloss-oven is sometimes fired to a greater degree of heat than some colours will bear. |
| [1875, 1882 see glost.] |
| 1926–7 Army & Navy Stores Catal. 299/1 Hard gloss finishing paint. 1933 Drugs, Oils & Paints Apr. 135/1 Portions of both the one and two-coat finishes are then given a final coat of gloss paint. 1960 House & Garden June 72/2 Gloss paints seem to get better and better in quality. |
▪ III. gloss, v.1
(glɒs)
[f. gloss n.1]
1. trans. To insert glosses or comments on; to comment upon, explain, interpret; = gloze v.1 1.
| 1603 Florio Montaigne i. xii. (1632) 21 Some that studie, plod, and glosse their Almanackes. 1615 T. Adams Two Sonnes 88 For all his big words, his stomach comes downe, if I may take leave to glosse it. 1641 J. Jackson True Evang. T. ii. 144 ‘My beloved is white, and ruddy’.. is thus glossed, ‘white’ in his life, ‘ruddy’ in his death. 1643 Milton Divorce 39 Kimchi, and the two other Rabbies who glosse the text are in the same opinion. 1809 Southey in Q. Rev. I. 219 This accursed custom was not known when the Institutes of Menu were written, nor when they were glossed by Calidas. 1864 Pusey Lect. Daniel vi. 377 He manifoldly glossed the text. 1866 Reader 16 June 580 Sir F. Madden can hardly have been the first editor who glossed the word. |
b. intr. To introduce a gloss, comment, or explanation upon a word or passage in a text. Also in wider sense, to make comments or remarks (esp. unfavourable ones) upon a person's words or actions. Const. on, upon, † at. (Cf. gloze v.1 1 b.)
| 1579 E. K. in Spenser's Sheph. Cal. Ep. Ded. §4 Which maner of glossing and commenting. 1639 T. Brugis tr. Camus' Moral Relat. 301 He was so jealous of Eleusipe, that he glossed on all her words..and on the smallest of her actions. a 1652 J. Smith Sel. Disc. vii. v. (1660) 327, I may fairly thus gloss at his whole Discourse upon this Argument. 1657 Trapp Comm. Ps. lxxxvi. 1 So Basil glosseth here. 1671 Milton Samson 948 Bearing my words and doings to the lords To gloss upon, and censuring, frown or smile. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. iv. §16. 293 Psellus thus glossing upon that Oracle. 1718 Prior Pleasure 758 Some gloss'd, how love and wisdom were at strife. 1727 Swift Gulliver ii. vi. 151 In penning those laws, which they assumed the liberty of interpreting and glossing upon at their pleasure. 1875 Maine Hist. Inst. i. 15 The Celts seem to have had a special habit of glossing. |
2. trans. To veil with glosses; to explain away; to read a different sense into. Also with away, over (the latter perh. influenced by gloss v.2). (Cf. gloze v.1 2.)
| 1638 Chillingw. Relig. Prot. i. vii. §7. 390 If you may glosse the Text so farre..why should you not glosse it a little farther? 1715 Bentley Serm. x. 360 Who have gloss'd and warp'd all the severe Rules of the Gospel about Chastity. 1764 Churchill Candidate Wks. II. 35 With nice distinctions glossing o'er the text. 1852 H. Rogers Ecl. Faith 226 The Pharisees, who were sunk in formalism, and who had glossed away every moral and spiritual precept of the Law. 1865 Merivale Rom. Emp. VIII. lxiv. 99 He could hardly resist the temptation to pervert or gloss the truth. 1879 Q. Rev. Apr. 325 Difficulties which their school has been in the habit of glossing over with conventional but inadequate explanations. |
▪ IV. gloss, v.2
(glɒs)
[f. gloss n.2]
trans. To put a gloss upon. a. In immaterial sense: To give a fair appearance to; to veil in specious language. Also with over, and in indirect passive.
The earlier quots. may be a development of gloss v.1 1 influenced by gloss n.2
| a 1656 Ussher Ann. vi. (1658) 511 His expedition was glossed with the specious pretence of settling Ariobarzanes the new Elect in his kingdom. 1658 Sir T. Browne Hydriot. iv. 19 Christians have handsomely glossed the deformity of death, by careful consideration of the body. 1659 Hammond On Ps. lxii. 4 And this traiterous designe they glosse and varnish over with fair flattering language. 1729 Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 87 He glosses over that same wickedness, dresses it up in a new form. a 1743 Ld. Hervey Flora to Pompey in Dodsley Coll. Poems (1782) IV. 96 Urge not, to gloss thy crime, the name of friend. 1761 Foote Liar ii. Wks. 1799 I. 293 His friends, who are tender of his fame, gloss over his foible, by calling him an agreeable novelist. 1856 Miss Mulock J. Halifax xxii, Such transactions..were yet generally glossed over, as if a certain discredit attached to them. 1886 Pall Mall G. 30 Sept., Mr. Chalmers..would fain gloss over the hardships he has suffered. |
b. In material sense: To render bright and glossy; to glaze.
| 1762 tr. Busching's Syst. Geog. II. 347 Black armozins are glossed by a decoction of beer and Seville oranges. 1796 J. Owen Trav. Eur. I. 227 We entered upon the Glacier, but found great difficulty in keeping our feet. The sun had glossed the surface. 1797–1804 T. Bewick Brit. Birds I. 305 Back black, glossed with blue. 1801 Southey Thalaba v. xxii, The moonlight fell, glossing the sable tide That gush'd tumultuous out. 1828 Stark Elem. Nat. Hist. I. 249 The head red, glossed with bronze. |
Hence ˈglossing vbl. n.; also attrib.
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., Glossing, an operation upon silk thread by which it is moistened with steam and stretched to develop a gloss. 1893 Queen 4 Feb. 197/3 Pressing them pretty heavily with the glossing iron. 1897 C. T. Davis Manuf. Leather (ed. 2) 614 Glossing of ordinary leather is very frequently effected by brushing the leather over with a rind of bacon and rubbing [etc.]. For finer qualities of leather a glossing mass consisting of a fat-emulsion..may be advantageously used. |
▪ V. gloss, adv. Ceramics.
(glɒs)
[f. gloss n.2]
Glossily; so as to have a gloss.
| 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 476 The pottery..for gold lustre is made of the red clay of the district, and when fired gloss, has just a sufficient tint left to give to the articles that peculiar colour on them. |