glue

American  

[gloo] / glu /

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.

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verb (used with object)

glued, gluing

1. to join or fasten with glue.

   Synonyms:

   plaster, cement, stick, gum, paste

2. to cover or smear (something) with glue (sometimes followed byup ).

3. to fix or attach firmly with or as if with glue; make adhere closely.

   to glue a model ship together.

glue British  

/ 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

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• gluelike adjective
• gluer noun
• gluey adjective
• reglue verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of glue

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

Example Sentences

It looked like every square inch of his hide had a monkey glued to it.

From Literature

"These often have added chemicals, flavourings, stabilisers and glues, are often lacking many real nutrients and could have a detrimental effect on someone's health," she said.

From BBC

These binders act like a glue that holds the electrode materials together.

From Science Daily

“My lipstick was glue stick,” she sings in “Lipstuck,” “it sealed my fate, not even able to communicate.”

From Salon

"They were the life and soul of the party, they were the Queen & King of our family. They were the glue that held us all together."

From BBC

Related Words

• cement
• paste
• plaster