From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishglossgloss1 /ɡlɒs $ ɡlɒːs, ɡlɑːs/ noun 1 [singular, uncountable]CSSHINEBRIGHT a bright shine on a surface This gel will add gloss to even the dullest hair.polish/shine to a high gloss The silverware had been polished to a high gloss.2 [singular, uncountable]NICE an attractive appearance on the surface of something that may hide something less pleasant SYN veneer Beneath the gloss of success was a tragic private life. The injury to Keane took the gloss off Manchester United’s victory.3 [countable]TCN a note in a piece of writing that explains a difficult word, phrase, or idea4 [singular] a description or explanation that makes something seem more attractive or acceptable than it really is → spin The minister was accused of putting a gloss on the government’s poor performance.5 → gloss finish/print6 (also gloss paint) [uncountable] paint that looks shiny after it dries → matt
Examples from the Corpus
gloss• In places the green is so thick on the page that it develops a gloss like the dried skin of oil paint.• The regime held elections in October, giving itself a gloss of democracy.• This hair gel is guaranteed to add gloss even to the dullest hair.• The gel is guaranteed to add gloss even to the dullest hair.• The silverware had been polished to a high gloss.• Examples of this are high gloss and art papers.• And layers of gloss on those lovely shutters.• At a meeting of the Royal Medical Society in 1860 he gave his own gloss on the prostitution debate.• walls painted gloss white• But nothing could take the gloss off Townsend's night of glory.• Stephanie did not look well. The gloss had gone from her blond hair and her skin was splotchy looking.• The sides and bottoms were padded with hard-looking calluses and spattered with the gloss of little scars.• It was another female, but small and insignificant-looking, with tawny wings whose gloss had faded.glossgloss2 verb TCN[transitive] to provide a note in a piece of writing, explaining a difficult word, phrase, or idea → gloss over something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
gloss• As Annie adjusted the nappies under the wriggling body, she glossed back over the previous week.• Feminist psychological theories tend to gloss over class relations, too.• What many would-be reformers have glossed over is the transition problems involved in going from one system to another.• Amy glossed over the bad times.• They no longer have any time for politicians who try to gloss over the harsh facts of life.• It was admirably researched, hut it glossed over the important questions while pointing up the trivial ones.• He sounded like generals everywhere, who gloss over their setbacks and remember their triumphs.• Some try to gloss over weak programming with slick packaging.Origin gloss1 1. (1500-1600) Probably from a Scandinavian language. 2. (1500-1600) Old French glose, from Latin glossa “unusual word that needs explaining”, from Greek, “tongue, language, unusual word” 