glaze
Americanverb (used with object)
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glazes,
present (3rd person singular)
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glazed,
past participle, past
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glazing
present participle
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to furnish or fill with glass.
to glaze a window.
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to give a vitreous surface or coating to (a ceramic or the like), as by the application of a substance or by fusion of the body.
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to cover with a smooth, glossy surface or coating.
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Cooking. to coat (a food) with sugar, a sugar syrup, or some other glossy, edible substance.
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Fine Arts. to cover (a painted surface or parts of it) with a thin layer of transparent color in order to modify the tone.
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to give a glassy surface to, as by polishing.
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to give a coating of ice to (frozen food) by dipping in water.
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to grind (cutlery blades) in preparation for finishing.
verb (used without object)
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glazes,
present (3rd person singular)
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glazed,
past participle, past
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glazing
present participle
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to become glazed or glassy.
Their eyes glazed over as the lecturer droned on.
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(of a grinding wheel) to lose abrasive quality through polishing of the surface from wear.
noun
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glazes
plural
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a smooth, glossy surface or coating.
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the substance for producing such a coating.
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Ceramics.
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a vitreous layer or coating on a piece of pottery.
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the substance of which such a layer or coating is made.
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Fine Arts. a thin layer of transparent color spread over a painted surface.
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a smooth, lustrous surface on certain fabrics, produced by treating the material with a chemical and calendering.
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Cooking.
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a substance used to coat a food, especially sugar or sugar syrup.
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stock cooked down to a thin paste for applying to the surface of meats.
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especially British, glazed frost. Also called silver frost, silver thaw, verglas, glaze ice. a thin coating of ice on terrestrial objects, caused by rain that freezes on impact.
verb
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(tr) to fit or cover with glass
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(tr) ceramics to cover with a vitreous solution, rendering impervious to liquid and smooth to the touch
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(tr) to cover (a painting) with a layer of semitransparent colour to modify the tones
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(tr) to cover (foods) with a shiny coating by applying beaten egg, sugar, etc
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(tr) to make glossy or shiny
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to become or cause to become glassy
his eyes were glazing over
noun
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ceramics
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a vitreous or glossy coating
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the substance used to produce such a coating
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a semitransparent coating applied to a painting to modify the tones
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a smooth lustrous finish on a fabric produced by applying various chemicals
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something used to give a glossy surface to foods
a syrup glaze
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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glazernoun
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glazinessnoun
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semiglazenoun
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reglazeverb (used with object)
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glazedadjective
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glazyadjective
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glazilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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glazesimple
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glazessimple
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have glazedperfect
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has glazedperfect
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am glazingprogressive
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are glazingprogressive
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is glazingprogressive
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have been glazingperfect progressive
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has been glazingperfect progressive
Past
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glazedsimple
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had glazedperfect
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was glazingprogressive
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were glazingprogressive
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had been glazingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glaze
1325–75; Middle English glasen, derivative of glas glass
Explanation
The glaze on a doughnut is the thin sweet coating that makes your fingers sticky. The glaze on a coffee table is the shiny coating that makes it glossy. The glaze on your friend's eyes as you talk is a sign that maybe you're boring her. Like glass, a glaze is a shiny clear substance so it's no surprise that they both come from the same root word glas. Objects that have a glaze on them include ceramic pots and doughnuts. If you glaze over something, you're covering it with a thin clear substance that makes it look polished. If someone says your eyes are starting to glaze over, snap out of it and look alive.
Vocabulary lists containing glaze
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Stairway To Leaven: Baking Vocabulary
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Ghost Boys
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His challenging Queen Mab speech, which can glaze the eyes, here is delivered with delectable playfulness, as Mercutio sports almost flirtatiously with Romeo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Finished in the firm's "iconic" Imperial Blue glaze, the bowl was collected and signed by Richard Eaton, the company said on Monday.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
At some point, everyone’s eyes are going to glaze over and it’s going to be 3-2-1, turn the TV off!
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
It forgoes the sticky glaze in favor of a deep brown gravy that pools and clings.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2026
Servants set down dishes—roasted goose shining with currant glaze, oysters and stewed ramps, acorn cakes and whole fish stuffed with rose hips.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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To publicize his idea, Crowe hit upon a plan that some might find a bit creepy: He designed an entire dinnerware series with the glazes, then held a dinner party using the products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 6, 2025
Leftover curry pastes, chipotles in adobo, gochujang-honey glazes, romesco, tamarind chutney—all of them freeze beautifully.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2025
The home of ceramist Raina Lee includes a tree house featuring her pottery as well as a garage studio that houses her pottery wheel, kilns and her crackly volcanic glazes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2024
He leaves the surfaces simple, without colorful glazes or decoration.
From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2024
In addition, they were used for applying paints and glazes, as portable drinking “cups,” and as padding for helmets.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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Like the large so-called moon jar that opens the exhibition, these capacious bowls glazed in eggshell white flaunt their foibles with wobbling edges that give character to otherwise pure forms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
I just know they’re the type of people who love a good board game — one with rules that take a half-hour to explain, by which time their guests’ eyes have glazed over.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Chisora, partly outside of the ropes, beat the count at eight, eyes glazed, as Wilder stalked forward.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026
We tried many plates, but the star of the night was the Cá Chiên Nước Mắm: a whole-fried, deboned bronzino glazed in sweet fish sauce.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2025
Oliver watched the screen until his eyes glazed over.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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Allow me to say this: Your eyes are glazing over.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
Daniel Rickman, who runs glazing business Structura, decided not to wait for individuals to ask for adjustments - but instead offer them to all staff.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Burry has been an outspoken critic of the stock market’s AI mania, saying that investors are getting ahead of themselves and glazing over risks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
To describe the phenomenon, he used the slang word "glazing" -- to excessively praise something.
From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026
She would at least look interested when he brought him up, instead of glazing over like she did when he spouted off facts about obscure silent films.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.