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.
any of various solutions or preparations of this substance, used as an adhesive.
any of various other solutions or preparations that can be used as adhesives.
verb (used with object),glued,glu·ing.
to join or fasten with glue.
to cover or smear (something) with glue (sometimes followed by up).
to fix or attach firmly with or as if with glue; make adhere closely: to glue a model ship together.
Origin of glue
1300–50; (noun) Middle Englishglu, gleu < Old Frenchglu < Latinglūt- (stem of glūs); cognate with Greekgloiós gum, anything sticky; (v.) Middle Englishglywen, glewen, derivative of the noun
Related formsglue·like, adjectiveglu·er, nounre·glue, verb (used with object),re·glued,re·glu·ing.
early 13c., from Old French glu "birdlime" (12c.), from Late Latin glutem (nominative glus) "glue," from Latin gluten "glue, beeswax," from PIE *gleit- "to glue, paste" (cf. Lithuanian glitus "sticky," glitas "mucus;" Old English cliða "plaster"), from root *glei- "to stick together" (see clay). In reference to glue from boiled animal hoofs and hides, c.1400. Glue-sniffing attested from 1963.
v.
late 14c., from Old French gluer, from glu (see glue (n.)). Related: Glued; gluing.
