glue

[ gloo ]

noun

1. a hard, impure, protein gelatin, obtained by boiling skins, hoofs, and other animal substances in water, that when melted or diluted is a strong adhesive.
2. any of various solutions or preparations of this substance, used as an adhesive.
3. any of various other solutions or preparations that can be used as adhesives.

verb (used with object)

, glued, glu·ing.

1. to join or fasten with glue.

   Synonyms: plaster, cement, stick, gum, paste

2. to cover or smear (something) with glue (sometimes followed by up ).
3. to fix or attach firmly with or as if with glue; make adhere closely:

   to glue a model ship together.

glue

/ ɡluː /

noun

1. any natural or synthetic adhesive, esp a sticky gelatinous substance prepared by boiling animal products such as bones, skin, and horns
2. any other sticky or adhesive substance

verb

1. tr to join or stick together with or as if with glue

Derived Forms

• ˈgluer, noun
• ˈglueˌlike, adjective
• ˈgluey, adjective

Other Words From

• gluelike adjective
• gluer noun
• re·glue verb (used with object) reglued regluing

Word History and Origins

Origin of glue¹

1300–50; (noun) Middle English glu, gleu < Old French glu < Latin glūt- (stem of glūs ); cognate with Greek gloiós gum, anything sticky; (v.) Middle English glywen, glewen, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of glue¹

C14: from Old French glu, from Late Latin glūs; compare Greek gloios

Example Sentences

As for Melendez, Fernandez said, “Every team his their glue kid, and he was that at 5-5. He was a little Chihuahua, fearless. He was such a loyal kid, always had your back.”

From Los Angeles Times

Onlookers glued themselves to the corner to watch for the excavator as it came down on their house.

From BBC

Ensconced at his Mar-a-Lago beach club with the richest man in the world glued to his side every moment, he's busy getting a whole new band together for his second term.

From Salon

Once that glue came unstuck, he said, the party was ripe for defeat.

From BBC

Each person at their small table - which was filled with already empty alcoholic drinks - was glued to their phones, each with a different news outlet's feed on election results.

From BBC

Related Words

• cement
• paste
• plaster