▪ I. glair, n.1
(glɛə(r))
Forms: 4–6 glayre, gleyre, (5 gleyere, gleyȝy(e)r, 6 gleyr), 4–7 gleire, (6 gleir, gle(e)re, 6–7 gleare), 7–9 glare, 5– glaire, 8– glair.
[a. F. glaire, found in 13th c. The forms in the other Rom. languages (Pr. glara, clara, It. chiara, Sp. clara) indicate L. clāra, fem. of clārus bright, clear, as the source of the Fr. word.
The change of initial from c to g must have been early, as ælfric's Gloss. (c 1000) has ‘Glara, æᵹ-lim’; some scholars have ascribed it to confusion with glārea gravel, but this is unlikely, as there is no evidence that this word had the sense of ‘clay’ or adhesive soil. Med.L. glaria, applied to the viscid juice of grapes in Barth. De Propr. Rerum, is prob. a latinization of F. glaire.]
1. The white of an egg; freq. in full the glair of an egg, of eggs. Also, a technical term for preparations made from the whites of eggs and used in various trade-processes, esp. book-binding (see quot. 1893).
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 1025 Þe wal of Iasper þat glent as glayre. c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 253 Vnslekked lym Chalk and gleyre of an ey. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas i. xx. 36 b, They have strictories to make their skin to shine Wrought subtilly of gommes and of glaire. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 198/2 Gleyre of eyryne, or oþer lyke (K. gleyere, H. gleyȝyre, P. gleyȝyer' of eyr'), glarea. c 1485 E.E. Misc. (Warton Club) 72 Grynde vermelone one a stone with newe glayre, and put a lytylle of the ȝolke of an ay thereto, and so write therewith. 1573 Art of Limming 3 To make glaire take the whyte of newe laide egges [etc.]. 1634 Peacham Gent. Exerc. i. xxi. 67 Gumme lake is made with the glaire of egs, strained often and very short. 1761 Brit. Mag. II. 45 Instead of the glair of eggs, gum-water is frequently used. 1811 Self Instructor 560 To make the glare of eggs. 1883 St. James's Gaz. 30 Nov. 5/1 The yelk is compounded with phosphorus, the glair with albumen, and the shell is made with lime. 1893 Q. Rev. July 185 The ‘glaire’ or adhesive substance with which those portions of the cover are to be coated which are intended for gold ornamentation. |
| Comb. 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Glaire-dealer, a vender of broken eggs, albumen, &c. |
2. transf. Any similar viscid or slimy substance.
| a 1529 Skelton E. Rummyng 25 Her lewde lyppes twayne They slauer, men sayne, Lyke a ropy rayne, A gummy glayre. 1574 Mirr. Mag., Morindus xv, Rammishe stenche, bloud, poyson, slymy glere That in his body, so aboundaunt were. 1665 Hooke Microgr. 51 Any glutinous Liquor, as..Oyl of Turpentine, Glare of Snails, &c. 1790 Sir W. Fordyce Muriatic Acid 11, I found the tongue black and dry, with a black glare on the teeth. 1860 Gosse Rom. Nat. Hist. 160 The mass, which seems a mere drop of thin glaire, almost or quite homogeneous [etc.]. 1865 T. R. Jones in Intell. Observ. Mar. 122 The transparent glair produced from decomposing vegetables. |
▪ II. † glair, n.2 Obs. rare—1.
In 5 glayre.
[a. OF. glaire, glayre:—L. glārea.]
Gravel.
| 1481 Caxton Myrr. ii. xxi. 111 By Acres the Cyte is founden a maner of sande and there is founden also of the glayre of the see whiche ben medled to gydre, And of thyse two myxtyons is made good glasse and clere. |
▪ III. glair, v.
(glɛə(r))
Forms: 6 gleer, glare, 8 glaire, 9 glair.
[f. glair n.1]
trans. To smear with glair; † also gen. to paint, daub.
| 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1684) I. 754/2 Lewd Wrights of Stocks hew and form such Crosses and Images, and after that, lewd Painters gleer them with Colours. 1598 J. Marston Metam. Pigmalion, etc. Sat. iii. (1598) 52 His clothes perfum'd, his fustie mouth is ayred, His chinne new swept, his very cheekes are glared [printed glazed; but note the rime]. 1755 Johnson, To Glaire, to smear with the white of an egg. This word is still used by the book-binders. 1885 Lock Workshop Rec. Ser. iv. 245 The edge [of the book] is now glaired evenly, and the gold..is then gently laid on the edge which has been glaired. |
| fig. 1563 Mirr. Mag., Rivers ix, Well saust with lyes, and glared all with glee. |
▪ IV. glair
var. glar n., glare a.