▪ I. glide, n.
(glaɪd)
[f. next.]
1. a. The action of gliding, in various senses.
| 1596 C. Fitzgeffrey Sir F. Drake (1881) 57 The waters glide should still record the same. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. iv. iii. 113 [The snake] with indented glides, did slip away Into a bush. 1647 A. Farindon Serm. iv. 70 A kind of Majesty..which makes a..pleasing glide into the minds of men. 1781 Cowper Charity 186 The ruffian..with the ghostly glide..steals close to your bedside. 1795 Paine Age Reason ii. (1819) 83 The glide of the smallest fish..exceeds us in motion. 1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms i. 269 With a winged glide this maiden would rove. 1818 L. Hunt Sonn. to Keats, Surely as I feel..Overhead the glide of a dove's wings. 1841 Whittier Exiles 176 To hear the dip of Indian oars, The glide of birch canoes. |
b. spec. in
Cricket. A stroke by which the ball is deflected towards long leg by the turned blade of the bat;
= glance n.1 1 b. In full
glide stroke.
| 1888 Steel & Lyttelton Cricket ii. 67 Fig. 10 shows W. G. Grace attempting the glide... This is a stroke in which W. G. Grace excels. 1897 K. S. Ranjitsinhji in Encycl. Sport I. 228/1 There is no more effective stroke on the leg side than the ‘glide’ or ‘glance’. 1911 C. B. Fry in P. F. Warner Bk. Cricket xiii. 227 His [sc. Ranjitsinhji's] so-called ‘glide’ strokes. 1955 Times 9 July 4/7 Neame was beautifully caught at the wicket off a thin leg glide. |
c. A step in certain ballroom dances; a gliding type of dance.
| 1889 Cent. Dict., Glide,..in dancing, a peculiar waltz-step performed in a smooth and sliding manner. 1926 Whiteman & McBride Jazz xi. 224 ‘Avalon’..was one of the greatest fox trots of the late ‘glide’ period. Ibid. 230 The original ‘glide two step’ fox trot of the ‘Japanese Sandman’ period. 1939 Britannica Bk. of Year 197/1 The ‘Palais Glide’, another group ballroom dance from England, made some headway in America. |
d. Aeronaut. The act of gliding; a flight accomplished by gliding.
| 1902 Encycl. Brit. XXV. 103/1 He made over 2000 glides safely, using gravity as a motive power. 1909 A. Berget Conquest of Air ii. iii. 175 This descending glide. 1916 H. Barber Aeroplane Speaks iv. 43 The Pilot is satisfied that he is now sufficiently high to secure..a long enough glide to earth to enable him to choose and reach a good landing-place. 1940 L. B. Barringer Flight without Power v. 87 On windy days..the two ropes can be joined to make an 800-foot line enabling the pilot to get high enough to make a much longer glide. 1955 Welch & Irving Soaring Pilot viii. 135 The sort of approach which is often seen on aerodromes—a good deal of air-braking early on followed by a long flat glide—is useless for getting into small fields. 1971 Sailplane & Gliding XXII. 364/1 Many hours later Barrie pulled off a ‘fingernail-biting’ final glide to receive a tumultuous welcome. |
2. concr. A stream (
obs.); also, the gliding portion of a stream, a shallow.
| 1590 Greene Never too late ii. (1600) Q 4 He that in Eurotas siluer glide Doth baine his tresse. 1591 ― Maiden's Dreame 4 Wks. (Grosart) XIV. 301 A silent spring..The glide whereof gainst weeping flints did beat. 1746 Bowlker Angling (1833) 40 The chief haunts of the smaller Greyling are in glides. 1882 Gd. Words 604 Both times as he [a fish] reaches the glide he leaves it. |
† 3. A passage; an avenue (of trees).
Obs.| c 1710 C. Fiennes Diary (1888) 21 A good hall w{supt}{suph} 2 parlours and has a glide through the house into the gardens. Ibid. 143 Through a fine Visto or Glide of trees w{supc}{suph} runs along ye parke. |
4. Mus. and
Phonetics. (See
quots.)
| 1835 Wilson Dict. Mus., Glide, the slur, to join two successive sounds without articulation, also the unaccented notes or anticipations in a portamento passage. 1856 A. J. Ellis Univ. Writing & Printing 6 The Glide and Syllable. When the bow is drawn, while a finger is slid down a violin string, a succession of sounds is heard, called a Glide. When the voice or whisper is continued, while the position of the organs of speech changes from that due to one sound to that due to another, a Vocal Glide is heard. 1867 A. M. Bell Visible Speech 69 A series of semi-consonant, semi-vowel sounds..which we call ‘Glides’. 1888 Sweet Hist. Eng. Sounds §23 The ‘glide’, or sound produced in passing from the one position [of the organs of speech] to the other. |
5. Cryst. Plastic deformation of a crystal in which there is a movement of one atomic plane over another, resulting in the lateral displacement of part of the lattice.
| 1934 Nature 16 June 912/1 Glide commences in a single crystal when the shear stress on the glide plane, and in the glide direction, reaches a certain value. 1952 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. CLXXI. 225/2 Lead..in single crystal form is, after a few per cent. glide, harder than cadmium. 1954 E. O. Hall Twinning ii. 31 The areas where glide occurs then appear as steps on the surface of the crystal. 1960 Metallurgia Mar. 125/1 He demonstrates glide, partial dislocations..and a number of other imperfections in structure. 1970 Kelly & Hendricks Crystallogr. vi. 169 At low temperature crystals yield plastically by a process called glide. |
6. Comb., as
glide bomb, a bomb fitted with aerofoils that enable it to glide towards its target when released from an aircraft; hence as
v. intr., to drop glide bombs;
glide-consonant (see
quot.);
glide-direction, a direction in a glide-plane in which glide can occur;
glide path, the line of descent followed by a landing aircraft;
spec. one indicated to the pilot by radar, etc., from the ground;
glide-plane Cryst., a plane in a crystal in which glide occurs; also, a symmetry element of a space-lattice such that reflection in the plane followed by a translation parallel to it produces a lattice congruent with the original;
glide-sound, in
Phonetics, the sound of a glide;
glide-twinning Cryst., the formation of a twin by the gliding of adjacent layers of a crystal lattice over one another; so
glide-twin;
glide-vowel, a vowel which cannot form a syllable by itself;
† glide-worm, some kind of worm or snake.
| 1943 Newsweek 8 Mar. 24 A divebomber pilot must be able to glide bomb in certain circumstances. 1943 Time 25 Oct. 23/1 The airmen knew that 1,800 fighters equipped with cannon, machine guns, some with glide bombs..are concentrated between Denmark and Belgium. 1954 K. W. Gatland Devel. Guided Missile (ed. 2) v. 135 The Petrel..rocket-propelled ‘glide bomb’..was capable of a short undersurface run, the wings and rocket motors breaking off as the missile entered the water close to the target. |
| 1888 Sweet Hist. Eng. Sounds §33 Glide-consonants in the special sense of the word are consonants formed without any fixed configuration. |
| 1933 W. H. & W. L. Bragg Crystalline State I. viii. 198 The relative movement occurs along a definite crystallographic axis lying in the plane, the ‘glide direction’. 1934 Glide direction [see 5 above]. |
| 1936 Electr. Commun. XV. 196/1 The experimentally tested glide path (Gleitweg) process..can be utilized as, for example, in Switzerland, where the glide path is followed down within a few meters from the ground. 1938 Jrnl. R. Aeronaut Soc. XLII. 747 Such essential elements as runway localisers, glide path and markers are analysed. Ibid. 490 There is a vertical glide path indicator. 1968 Guardian 28 Dec. 1/5 Apollo 8 had to aim at a ‘keyhole’ entrance to the earth, an imaginary corridor only 35 miles wide. This is the so-called ‘glidepath’ they had to shoot at as they entered the upper atmosphere. 1970 Times 8 Apr. 10/3 A lower approach, much more like coming down the glide path of an airport, should create fewer troubles from a dust storm raised by the rocket motors. |
| 1895 N. S. Maskelyne Crystallogr. i. 7 The glide-planes, in the case of deformed crystals, are..planes along which disruption can be easily effected. 1946 Nature 21 Sept. 395/1 Space-groups, rotation-axes, glide-planes. 1963 E. S. Hills Elem. Struct. Geol. 117 The relatively high ductility of metals is due to the non-directional nature of the metallic bond.., which permits ready re-establishment of cohesion across glide planes and crystal boundaries. |
| 1911 Encycl. Brit. XXI. 465/2 Acoustically speaking..voiceless stops are pure glide-sounds, the stop itself being inaudible. 1933 Bloomfield Lang. vi. 96 The intervening non-distinctive glide-sounds that are produced while the vocal organs change their position. |
| 1938 W. A. Wooster Text-bk. Crystal Physics ii. 52 The indices of the crystallographic twin..and those of the glide-twin. 1951 N. F. M. Henry et al. Interpr. X-Ray Diffraction Photogr. i. 17/2 In certain substances showing the special type of homogeneous deformation called glide twinning the amount of relative displacement is absolutely fixed for a particular glide in a given substance. Ibid., In order to define a glide twin completely, it is necessary to specify (i) the glide plane, (ii) the glide direction, and (iii) the amount of glide. 1957 Encycl. Brit. VI. 828I/2 Plasticity [of a crystal] is sometimes associated with glide-twinning, a process in which there is a sudden switching of the atoms to a second stable position related in a definite geometrical way to the first. |
| 1888 Sweet Hist. Eng. Sounds §22 These diphthongic or ‘glide-’ vowels are written consonant size. |
| c 1425 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 643/6 Hec incedula, glyde-worme. |
Add:
[6.] glideslope = glide path above.
| 1951 Aviation Age Sept. 35/1 As you pass over the outer marker and down the *glideslope the approach horizon comes into play. 1962 Aeroplane 12 Apr. 27/1 Suitable for mounting anywhere in the aircraft, the glideslope receiver is housed in an ARINC half-height short-quarter ATR case. 1987 Pilot Apr. 34/1 A Falco on the ILS will doubtless go exactly where you tell it to go exactly when you tell it, but I'd just as soon trundle down the glideslope in a machine that doesn't need to be told quite so often. |
▪ II. glide, v. (
glaɪd)
Pa. tense and
pa. pple. glided. Forms:
inf. 1
gl{iacu}dan, 3
gliden, 4–6
glyde, (5
glyede, 6
glyd), 3–
glide,
3rd pers. pres. ind. 4
glit,
glyt.
pa. tense 1–2
glád (
pl. glidon), 3–5
glad, (3
glæd, 4
gladd), 4–5
glade, 5–6
Sc. glaid, 3–5
glod, (3
gload), 4–5
glood(e, 4–6, 9
glode, 5, 7, 9
glid, 7–
glided.
pa. pple. 1– 4
gliden, 6
glaid, 9
glid, (
glode), 7–
glided.
[A common WGer. str. vb.: OE. gl{iacu}dan, glád, glidon, gliden corresponds to OFris. glîda, OS. glîdan (Du. glijden; now usually glijen), OHG. glîtan (MHG. glîten, mod.G. gleiten); not found in Goth. or ON., but (prob. by adoption from LG.) in MSw. gliidha (mod.Sw. glida), Da. glide. The OTeut. type is *glîđan, glaiđ-, gliđum, gliđono-; outside Teut. no cognates are known. The affinity of sense with
OTeut. *glađo-, smooth, slippery (see
glad a.) is remarkable, but etymological affinity is hardly possible, unless indeed the
Teut. root
*glī̆đ- was evolved from
*slī̆đ- slide v. through the influence of the
adj. or its root. The
Eng. vb. remained strong until the present century; the usual inflexion is now
glided, though
glid might be used in the past tense without causing surprise. All other
str. forms occurring in recent writings are distinctly archaistic.]
1. intr. To pass from one place to another by a smooth and continuous movement, without effort or difficulty.
a. along the surface of, or through, a liquid.
| Beowulf (Z) 515 ᵹit..glidon ofer garsecg. a 1000 Andreas 498 (Gr.) Þes bat..glideð on ᵹeofone. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 324/69 Þat schip bi-gan to glide. 13.. K. Alis. 6194 So wyght undur the water they rideth, So ony schip above glideth. 1513 Douglas æneis x. v. 81 And throu the wallis on the tother part [the ship] Glydis away vndir the fomy seis. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 72 From shoare we be glyding. 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena vi. 163 Whilest then the Galleyes..glided on a maine speede. 1649 Stanley Europa 9 Down leaps he, Dolphinlike glides through the seas. 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. I. 13 A distant sail, gliding along the edge of the ocean. 1834 W. India Sk. Bk. I. 245 We glided gradually past a great number of shipping to the landing-place. 1863 G. W. Dasent Jest & Earnest (1873) II. 183 Harold's own vessel stood the proof, and glode safely over the obstacle. 1871 B. Taylor Faust I. ii. 43 One at the window sits..And sees all sorts of ships go down the river gliding. |
b. of a liquid, a stream, etc.
† In early use often of tears or blood, where
flow would now be used.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 43 Alle heore teres beoð berninde gleden glidende ouer heore aȝene nebbe. c 1205 Lay. 12773 Him gunnen glide teores. c 1300 Havelok 1851 The blod ran of his sides So water that fro the welle glides. a 1400 Sir Perc. 537 The teres oute of his eghne glade. c 1430 Hymns Virg. 28 Al he suffride þat was wisest, His blood to lete doun glide. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxii. 92 Quhill blude and wattir did furth glyde. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 234 b, As water glydeth on the erth so our lyfe vanyssheth & passeth. 1597 Drayton Heroic Ep. v. 41, I..aske the gentle flood as it did glide If thou didst passe or perish by the tide? 1699 Garth Dispens. i. 15 A while his curdling Blood forgot to glide. 1707 Curios. in Husb. & Gard. 68 The Waters that glide in the Sinuosities of the Earth, meet with Sulphur or Lime. 1707 E. Smith Phædra & Hipp. iii. 31 Soft Cydonian Oyl, Whose balmy Juice glides o'er th' untasting Tongue. 1764 Goldsm. Trav. 320 Where..brighter streams than fam'd Hydaspes glide. 1802 Wordsw. Sonn., ‘Earth has not anything to show,’ The river glideth at his own sweet will. 1848 W. H. Bartlett Egypt to Pal. xi. (1879) 246 The little stream glided and rippled by..over its rocky bed. 1885 Bible (R.V.) Song Sol. vii. 9 Gliding through the lips of those that are asleep. |
| fig. 1691–1701 Norris Ideal World i. ii. 110 Truth..whose..streams..glide through the barren regions of our.. sensible world. 1764 Goldsm. Trav. 434 With secret course..Glides the smooth current of domestic joy. 1820 Hazlitt Lect. Dram. Lit. 50 The dialogue glides and sparkles like a clear stream from the Muses' spring. |
c. of motion through the air.
spec. of an aeroplane: to fly without engine power; also
trans., to traverse in a glider.
| Beowulf (Z.) 2073 Heofones ᵹim glad ofer grundas. a 1000 Andreas 1304 (Gr.) Sunne ᵹewat to sete glidan under niflan næs. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 91 Swa reðe swa his sceada heom on glad heo weren iheled. a 1300 Cursor M. 11428 Þe stern alwais þam forwit glade. c 1386 Chaucer Merch. T. 643 The moone..was in to Cancre glyden. ― Sqr.'s T. 385 The vapour which þat fro the erthe glood Made the sonne to seme rody and brood. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 799 Þe worme..Comes glydande fro þe clowddez. c 1440 York Myst. xxx. 76 Þe sonne..glydis to þe grounde with his glitterand glemys. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 1239 When he saw aungels fra heuen glyde. 1557 Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 116 Whyle, through his signes, fiue tymes great Titan glode. 1615 Chapman Odyss. xii. 585 And through, and through the ship, his lightning glid. 1667 Milton P.L. xii. 629 The Cherubim descended..Gliding Meteorous, as Ev'ning Mist. 1827 J. Montgomery Pelican Island iii. 113 Where glid the sunbeams through the latticed boughs. 1850 Mrs. Browning Poems I. 152 On the back of the quick-winged bird I glode. 1865 Livingstone Zambesi xxi. 426 One glides with quivering pinions to the centre of the open space. 1910 C. C. Turner Aerial Navig. xx. 252 The best means of becoming proficient in flying is first to learn to glide. 1916 H. Barber Aeroplane Speaks iv. 53 The Aeroplane with noiseless engine glides over the boundary of the Aerodrome. 1931 Times 23 June 17/4 The claim that he was the first man to ‘glide’ the Channel. 1940 L. B. Barringer Flight without Power ii. 15 The very efficient high performance gliders can glide a long way without losing much height. 1958 D. Piggott Gliding ii. 12 Launching signals and procedure are more or less standard..wherever you glide in England. |
d. in general. Now often applied to the progression of a person walking or riding, of a carriage, etc., to express extreme smoothness of movement and the absence of perceptible motion of the limbs, wheels, etc.
| a 1275 in Hist. Holy Rood-tree (1894) 79 So gleam glidis þurt þe glas..þurt þe hoale þurch he gload. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 443/375 Þat wedur bi-gan to glide, in þe oþur half of þe churche. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 337 An hyll remouyd from his propre place and glode by many a myle. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xxiii. 655 All rankt, Achilles show'd The race-scope. From the start, they glid. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 679 Th' Infernal Troops like passing Shadows glide. 1805 Wordsw. Waggoner i. 43 The Horses have worked with right good-will..And now they smoothly glide along. 1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms i. 35 She glides away like a lambent flame. 1816 L. Hunt Rimini iv. 79 Looking round about, As he glode by. 1835 W. Irving Tour Prairies 289 The two horsemen glided down from the profile of the hill. a 1839 Praed Poems (1864) I. 127 In through the lattice did my chariot glide. 1877 G. Macdonald Marq. Lossie xlv, Before him glode the shape of Clementina. 1888 R. Buchanan City of Dream ii. 40 Mighty priests Glode by on steeds bridled with glittering gold. |
2. Said of the mode of progression of reptiles.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 370 Niðful neddre,..sal gliden on hise brest neðer. a 1300 Cursor M. 11608 Vte o þis coue þan sagh þai glide Mani dragons. c 1315 Shoreham 161 Opone thy wombe thou schalt glyde. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 260 She [Medea] glode forth, as an adder doth. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. i. (1495) 735 Some beestes crepith and glydeth on the grounde. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 199/1 Glydyn, serpo. 1547 Surrey æneid ii. (1557) Bj b, The serpentes twine with hasted traile they glide To Pallas temple. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 645 [The Snake] in some secret Cranny slowly glides. 1819 Crabbe T. of the Hall vii. I. 138 There the birds of darkness loved to hide, The loathed toad to lodge, and speckled snake to glide. 1842 Mrs. Browning Grk. Chr. Poets 24 Oh, would the serpent had not glode along To Eden's garden-land. |
3. To go unperceived, quietly, or stealthily; to insinuate oneself, steal, ‘slip’
into,
out of a place.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 16492 Judas..kest þe penis on þe flore, and son a-wai he glad. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C xxi 479 May no grysliche gost glyde þer hit shadeweþ. a 1400–50 Alexander 358 Þis grete god full of grace sall glide to þi chambre. c 1485 Inscription Carlisle Cathedral in St. Cuthbert (Surtees) [11] Her by prayers fendys ovt farn [i.e. out of Farne] glad. 1634 A. Huish Hymn, O holy Spirit..Vouchsafe into our soules to glide. 1736 Earl of Orrery Let. 18 Mar. in Swift's Lett. (1766) II. 247 You see, Curll, like his friend the Devil, glides through all key-holes. 1847 M. Howitt Ballads, etc. 393 And the Holy Mother of Jesus Glid in with footsteps light. 1850 D. G. Mitchell Reveries Bachelor 47 He takes up his hat and glides out stealthful as a cat. 1859 Kingsley Misc. (1860) I. 148 A great dog-fox as red as the fir-stems through which he glides. |
† 4. a. Used in poetry for: To pass from one place to another, to go or come. Also with
advs. forth,
up,
down, etc.
Obs.| c 1205 Lay. 19517 Muche folc him after glæd. a 1275 Prov. ælfred 618 in O.E. Misc. 136 Drunken mon..Gef him þe weie reme and let him ford gliden. a 1300 Cursor M. 20830 (Gött.) Fourti dais in erd he badd, Ar he vp till his fadir glad. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 677 Þen glydez forth god, þe god-mon hym folȝez. c 1386 Chaucer Sir Thopas 193 Forth vp on his wey he glood [v.r. rood], As spark out of the bronde. a 1400 Sir Perc. 466 Forthirmore ganne he glyde Tille a chambir. c 1400 Destr. Troy 2996 The lady..glod on fyll gayly. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 7442 At morne besyde þe way we glade To þe next kirke, messe to here. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xii. 68 So galy in gere As he glydys. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 484 He is the gayest in geir, that euer on ground glaid. 1513 Douglas æneis vii. iv. 12 With swyft pays thai on thare message glaid. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. iv. 23 Like sparke of fire that from the andvile glode. |
† b. of a weapon, a blow. (Perh. with the notion of swift or unresisted movement.)
Obs.| c 1205 Lay. 1750 Heo letten to gliden gares swiþe scarpe. 13.. K. Alis. 1355 A brod gavelock he lette glide. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 5160 On his helme he him smot, Þe ax glod, god it wot. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 848 Þorw scheld, haberke, & aketoun þat sper him gan to glyde. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 717. c 1400 Sowdone Bab. 1183 The stroke glode down by his bake. c 1450 Guy Warw. (C.) 4914 Hys spere thorow the body glode. 1513 Douglas æneis ix. vii. 156 The swerd, wyghtly stokit, or than was glaid Throu owt hys cost. [1699 Dryden Pal. & Arc. ii. 124 He trembl'd ev'ry Limb, and felt a Smart, As if cold Steel had glided through his Heart. (Echoing Chaucer Knt.'s T. 717.)] |
† c. To fall.
Obs.| c 1205 Lay. 800 Leteð the Grickisca gliden to grunde. 13.. Coer de L. 5306 Eyther stede to grounde glode, And brake her nekkes. ? 1370 Robt. Cicyle 60 Y felle in pryde, As the aungelle that can of hevyn glyde. a 1400 Sir Perc. 2116 Righte there appone the faire molde The ryng owte glade. c 1460 Launfal 575 Another cours togedere they rod, That syr Launfal helm of glod. |
† d. Of the eye: To glance, turn aside
upon.
| c 1425 Seven Sag. (P.) 2099 The childe lette hys [eyen] glyede Oppon hys maystyr al asyde. |
5. a. To slide, move unobstructedly over a polished surface. Also,
† to slip, lose one's footing on ice or muddy ground (
obs.); to slide on ice as a sport (
dial.).
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 212/430 For heo [the bridge] was narovȝ, and slider, and heiȝ, þat he ne scholde him so bitelle, Ȝif þat he glufte [v.r. glide] in ani half, þat he ne fulle in-to helle. 1674 J. Scheffer tr. Hist. Lapl. 4 The Laplanders gliding upon the ice. 1835–6 Todd Cycl. Anat. I. 255/2 One surface glides over the other limited by the ligaments. 1881 Leicestersh. Gloss., Glide, to slide on the ice. |
b. To slip
away, elude one's grasp, like something greasy.
| c 1510 More Picus Wks. 25 The pleasure, whiche thine euill worke doth contayne, Glideth his way, thou maist him not restraine. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 281¶7. It glided through the Fingers like a smooth Piece of Ice. 1823 Lamb Elia Ser. ii. Pop. Fallacies ii, They do not find..that all gold glides, like thawing snow, from the thief's hand. |
6. To pass lightly and without interruption
along or
over a surface. Also
transf. of the eye, the mind, etc.
| 1822 Lamb Elia Ser. ii. Detached Th. on Bks., Books of quick interest, that hurry on for incidents, are for the eye to glide over only. a 1834 ― Let. to Wordsw. Lett. xvii. 162 The light paragraphs must be glid over by the proper eye. 1851 Ruskin Stones Ven. (1874) I. xxv. 284 The eye..ought to glide along the basic rolls to take measurement of their length. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola i. vi, His hand glided from the face and rested on the young man's shoulder. |
7. In various immaterial applications.
a. Of time, one's life, etc.: To pass gently and imperceptibly. Also with
along,
away,
† forth,
on, etc.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3460 Quiles ðis daiȝes forð ben gliden. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xi. 6 Hyne glydis all thy tyme that heir is. 1779 J. Moore View Soc. Fr. (1789) I. xviii. 143 The hours glide along very smoothly. 1835 Marryat Jac. Faithf. xxxvi, My life glided on as did my wherry—silently and rapidly. 1837 Disraeli Venetia i. iii, Two serene and innocent years had glided away. 1887 Bowen Virg. Eclog. x. 43 Here life ever should glide..beside thee gently away. |
† b. Of the Holy Ghost:
= proceed.
Obs.| a 1225 Juliana 2 Ant o þes haligastes þat glideð of ham baðen. c 1320 Cast. Love 1454 Þe Holy Gost þat glit of hem bo. |
c. to glide into: to pass by imperceptible degrees into (a condition or state); to fall insensibly into (doing something). Said also of a species, etc.: To shade off insensibly into, have no clear demarcation from (something else).
| 1800 Hatchett in Phil. Trans. XC. 391 Muscle, ligament, and tendon, seem to glide almost imperceptibly into each other. 1825 Lytton Falkland 22, I suffer one moment to glide into another. 1842 Alison Hist. Europe (1849–50) X. lxvi. §77. 190 All feelings of hostility..glide into those of peculiar courtesy. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. iii. v, I have glided into telling you the secret. 1869 Lecky Europ. Mor. I. ii. 282 The peasant proprietor soon glided hopelessly into debt. |
d. Phonetics. to glide on to: (of a consonant or vowel) to be uttered continuously with (the following sound).
| [1774: cf. 8.] 1867 A. J. Ellis E.E. Pronunc. i. iii. 57 A short accented vowel is in English always followed by a consonant on to which it glides. |
8. trans. = to cause to glide (in different senses). Also
† to glide away.
| 1650 Trapp Comm. Gen. iv. 17 Silly are they that think to glide away their groans with games, and their cares with cards, &c. 1774 W. Mitford Harmony Lang. 48 They sound i, but glide it so imperceptibly into the following vowel that it cannot form a distinct syllable. 1834 W. India Sk. Bk. I. 299 Enjoying the..light airs which began to play on the surface of the water, and to glide the vessel quietly on her course. 1893 Gunter Miss Dividends 128 Ferdie glides the graceful Louise through the room in poetic motion. 1897 W. Anderson Surg. Treat. Lupus 14 The raw surface may be covered in by gliding portions of detached integument from an adjacent part. |
9. Cryst. intr. Of particles in a crystal: to move, be displaced. Also of a crystal: to undergo glide.
Cf. glide n. 5.
| 1895 N. S. Maskelyne Crystallogr. i. 7 The particles..aligned on all lines parallel to the edge e have..glided into new positions in the crystal-block. 1924 A. E. H. Tutton Nat. Hist. Crystals xviii. 215 Many of the softer crystallised substances develop the property of permitting one layer to glide over another by gentle side pressure with a knife blade. 1938 W. A. Wooster Text-bk. Crystal Physics ii. 49 The crystal glides on the (0112) plane in the [0111] direction. 1970 Kelly & Hendricks Crystallogr. vi. 169 Sapphire crystals can be made to glide at room temperature under a pressure of 25,000 atm. |
10. Cricket.
intr. To make the glide stroke (see
prec. 1 b).
| 1899 Daily News 22 July 4/2 Men were then less apt to ‘glance and glide’, like The Brook, and K. S. Ranjitsinhji. 1927 T. E. Casson Century of Roundels 17 Ranjitsinhji, when he glides, Stands at the crease in posture cringy. |