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glue

(gl)

a. A strong liquid adhesive obtained by boiling collagenous animal parts such as bones, hides, and hooves into hard gelatin and then adding water.

b. Any of various similar adhesives, such as paste, mucilage, or epoxy.

2. An adhesive force or factor: Idealism was the glue that held our group together.

tr.v. glued, glu·ing, glues

1. To stick, fasten, or cause to adhere: glued the broken leg of the chair together.

2. To cause to be focused on or directed at something: Our eyes were glued to the stage.

[Middle English glu, from Old French, from Late Latin glūs, glūt-, from Latin glūten.]

gluey adj.

glui·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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