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definitions

glove

[gluhv]
See more synonyms for glove on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a covering for the hand made with a separate sheath for each finger and for the thumb.
  2. boxing glove.
  3. baseball glove.
  4. gauntlet1.
verb (used with object), gloved, glov·ing.
  1. to cover with or as if with a glove; provide with gloves.
  2. to serve as a glove for.
Idioms
  1. hand and glove. hand(def 55).
  2. handle with kid gloves. kid gloves(def 2).
  3. take up the glove. gauntlet1(def 4).
  4. throw down the glove. gauntlet1(def 5).

Origin of glove

before 900; Middle English; Old English glōf; cognate with Old Norse glōfi
Related formsglove·less, adjectiveglove·like, adjectiveun·gloved, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for gloves

mitt, muff, gauntlet, gage, mitten

Examples from the Web for gloves

Contemporary Examples of gloves

Historical Examples of gloves

  • "I'll come," said he, disappearing in search of cap and gloves.

    Viviette

    William J. Locke

  • "I shouldn't be in the least surprised," Mary assented, as she finished buttoning her gloves.

    Within the Law

    Marvin Dana

  • From spats to hat, from walking coat to gloves, everything was perfect of its kind.

    Within the Law

    Marvin Dana

  • She went straight to the south room, pulling off her gloves on the way.

  • "Your Uncle's been asking for you, John," said the doctor, drawing on his gloves.

    The Foolish Lovers

    St. John G. Ervine

British Dictionary definitions for gloves

glove

noun
  1. (often plural) a shaped covering for the hand with individual sheaths for the fingers and thumb, made of leather, fabric, etcSee also gauntlet 1 (def. 2)
  2. any of various large protective hand covers worn in sports, such as a boxing glove
  3. hand in glove informal in an intimate relationship or close association
  4. handle with kid gloves informal to treat with extreme care
  5. with the gloves off informal (of a dispute, argument, etc) conducted mercilessly and in earnest, with no reservations
verb
  1. (tr; usually passive) to cover or provide with or as if with gloves
Derived Formsgloved, adjectivegloveless, adjective

Word Origin for glove

Old English glōfe; related to Old Norse glōfi
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for gloves

glove

v.

"to cover or fit with a glove," c.1400, from glove (n.). Related: Gloved; gloving. Glover as a surname is from mid-13c.

glove

n.

Old English glof "glove, covering for the hand," also "palm of the hand," from Proto-Germanic *galofo (cf. Old Norse glofi), probably from *ga- collective prefix + *lofi "hand" (cf. Old Norse lofi, Middle English love, Gothic lofa "flat of the hand"), from PIE *lep- "be flat; palm, sole, shoulder blade" (cf. Russian lopata "shovel;" Lithuanian lopa "claw," lopeta "shovel, spade").

German Handschuh, the usual word for "glove," literally "hand-shoe" (Old High German hantscuoh; also Danish and Swedish hantsche) is represented by Old English Handscio (the name of one of Beowulf's companions, eaten by Grendel), but this is attested only as a proper name. To fit like a glove is first recorded 1771.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with gloves

glove

see fit like a glove; hand in glove; handle with kid gloves; hang up (one's gloves); with the gloves off.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.