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Glite Dictionary
🎭 To cover up 🎭 A cover-up ✨ A shiny look ✨ To make shiny 📖 An explanation 📖 To explain
to gloss

to gloss

1 5.8
To explain a word or phrase in a text
  • verb
  • /ɡlɑs/
  • Specialized
: glosar
  • But first, how do you gloss the philosophical program of naturalism?
  • gloss the text
  • gloss a quote
  • gloss here

But first, how do you gloss the philosophical program of naturalism?

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Examples

  • The teacher asked us to gloss the main themes of the novel in our essays.

  • Yeah, it's a very important point and it's related to two things I just wanted to gloss when you were talking there.

  • "You mean the idea of Israel giving up land for peace," Bob glosses for the audience.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I should take a moment to gloss the parenthetical "and not something else" as it functions in The Plural I.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Academics and business theorists often gloss over the basics of leadership, preferring to trivialize their importance.

    Blog text (1)

  • In both works, infidelity is linked to the "Sons of Reason," whom Young glosses as "baptized infidels."

    Academic text (2016)

  • Sometimes the authors explain their neologisms, as when Zelazny glosses the meaning of graffle.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Before the presentation, she decided to gloss the key findings for the audience.

  • The lecturer will gloss the new terminology during the discussion to aid understanding.

Synonyms

to describe
vsto gloss
∞ 1.0

To use words to show what a person or thing is like

aims at short explanatory or translational notes for language units
to summarize
vsto gloss
  • US
87 3.0

Present the main points of a text in a short, clear way

gives brief explanation or translation for a specific word or passage
to recap
vsto gloss
42 3.4

To briefly repeat the main points

serves as a short explanation or translation rather than mere repetition
to annotate
vsto gloss
12 4.8

Add short notes to a text or picture to explain it

offer direct explanations or translations for words or passages without notes
to synopsize
vsto gloss
1 6.4

To give a short summary of the main points

focuses on explaining or translating specific words or passages instead
to precis
vsto gloss
1 8.0

To make a short summary of a text or speech

targets shorter explanations or translations for words and passages
to exposit
vsto gloss
  • Formal
1 8.6

To explain an idea or meaning in detail

provides shorter simpler explanations or translations for words or passages

Antonyms

to confuse
152 1.9

Make someone unable to think clearly or make something hard to understand

to obscure
84 7.0

Make something hard to see or understand

Phrasal Verbs

to gloss over
25 6.5

Make a problem or mistake seem less serious by leaving out details

Compounds

lip-gloss
36 2.5

A liquid or gel you put on your lips to make them shiny

high-gloss shine
1 5.0

A very shiny smooth surface that reflects light brightly

How Detailed

to expound
  • Formal
18 7.3
to explain
∞ 1.0
to gloss
  • Specialized
1 5.8
to note
∞ 1.6
to mention
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

gloss infinitive
glossed past
glossed past participle
glossing present participle
glosses third person singular

Etymology

Gloss to explain or translate comes from the same Greek glōssa 'tongue' and is like putting a small 'tongue' note next to a text to make it clear, so to gloss something is to give a simple explanation or translation.