glove
Americannoun
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a covering for the hand made with a separate sheath for each finger and for the thumb.
verb (used with object)
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to cover with or as if with a glove; provide with gloves.
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to serve as a glove for.
idioms
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throw down the glove. gauntlet.
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handle with kid gloves. kid gloves.
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hand and glove. hand.
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take up the glove. gauntlet.
noun
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(often plural) a shaped covering for the hand with individual sheaths for the fingers and thumb, made of leather, fabric, etc See also gauntlet 1
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any of various large protective hand covers worn in sports, such as a boxing glove
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informal in an intimate relationship or close association
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informal to treat with extreme care
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informal (of a dispute, argument, etc) conducted mercilessly and in earnest, with no reservations
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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glovesimple
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glovessimple
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have glovedperfect
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has glovedperfect
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am glovingprogressive
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are glovingprogressive
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is glovingprogressive
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have been glovingperfect progressive
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has been glovingperfect progressive
Past
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glovedsimple
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had glovedperfect
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was glovingprogressive
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were glovingprogressive
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had been glovingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glove
before 900; Middle English; Old English glōf; cognate with Old Norse glōfi
Explanation
A glove is a piece of clothing that you wear on your hand, to protect it or keep it warm. Most people wear a pair of gloves, unless — of course — they are imitating Michael Jackson. Cold-weather gloves are soft and warm, made from fabrics like wool, polar fleece, or leather. There are also gloves that protect the skin on your hands while you're cleaning, using chemicals, or washing dishes; and gloves that prevent the spreading of germs, worn by food handlers and health care workers. Athletes sometimes wear gloves as well, like boxing gloves or the gloves worn by hockey goalies.
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:
"They are mirror images of each other, but you need a different glove for each. If you had two left-handed gloves, it wouldn't work because your hands can't be superimposed on top of one another."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing tapped Shohei Ohtani from behind with his glove, as he passed the two-way superstar putting on his hitting guards at the entrance to the dugout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
In the end, she barely laid a glove on the ball.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
“You paid for my swim lessons, bought me my first baseball glove, and kept me in the best private school in South Florida, alongside President George H.W. Bush’s grandsons, at least for a little while.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Warmth enveloped her, the humidity a glove sticking to her skin.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
"They are mirror images of each other, but you need a different glove for each. If you had two left-handed gloves, it wouldn't work because your hands can't be superimposed on top of one another."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
Some reports suggested a black tie dress code, complete with top hats for men and evening gloves for women.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
She throws a different leather handbag onto the passenger seat of her car, pulls on a pair of black leather driving gloves, and zooms off.
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Today I feel like I have no energy left,” Sánchez said on Sunday, his face weary as he took a break, blowing dust off his gloves and examining the holes in his sneakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
I do head to the bathroom to wash my hands—not because Mom told me to, but because my hands are gross from having touched all those cans and bottles, even through the gloves.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Anderson flayed a boundary to make it two to win but then gloved a Neil Wagner short ball down leg.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Attempting to sweep Axar Patel, Brook gloved down the leg side and wicketkeeper Kishan took a superb catch, given on review.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
The divers floated to them, their gloved hands touching the surface, searching for seams where the pipelines were at their weakest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Their experiments recreated typical lab conditions, such as a gloved hand touching filters, microscope slides, and other equipment used during analysis.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 29, 2026
He did not like the women who reached out and touched him with their gloved hands or the ones that leaned down to kiss him, bumping his head with their wide hats.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Joe Root is reprieved by Cameron Green's no-ball after gloving behind on 1 on day two of the second Ashes Test at Lord's.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2023
Anderson, after gloving the puck, knocked the puck off Rakell’s stick in a blunder that gave the Penguins life.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 14, 2023
The Santa Margarita shortstop couldn’t have played it any better, gloving the ball and firing it to first.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2022
In public, we now cover and constrain ourselves as never before, masking our faces, gloving our hands.
From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2020
They could not but smile, but waited for the king, who, when he had had his laugh out, explained the allusion to the Conqueror’s leather dressing and gloving lineage.
From Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln A Short Story of One of the Makers of Mediaeval England by Marson, Charles L. (Charles Latimer)
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.
