I. gloss 1 /ɡlɒs $ ɡlɒːs, ɡlɑːs/ BrE AmE noun
[ Sense 1-2, 5-6: Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language. ]
[ Sense 3-4: Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: glose , from Latin glossa 'unusual word that needs explaining' , from Greek , 'tongue, language, unusual word' ]
1 . [singular, uncountable] a bright shine on a surface:
This gel will add gloss to even the dullest hair.
polish/shine to a high gloss
The silverware had been polished to a high gloss.
2 . [singular, uncountable] an attractive appearance on the surface of something that may hide something less pleasant SYN veneer :
Beneath the gloss of success was a tragic private life.
The injury to Keane took the gloss off Manchester United’s victory.
3 . [countable] a note in a piece of writing that explains a difficult word, phrase, or idea
4 . [singular] a description or explanation that makes something seem more attractive or acceptable than it really is ⇨ spin :
The minister was accused of putting a gloss on the government’s poor performance.
5 . gloss finish/print a surface or photograph that has been made shiny
6 . ( also gloss paint ) [uncountable] paint that looks shiny after it dries
⇨ matt
II. gloss 2 BrE AmE verb
[transitive] to provide a note in a piece of writing, explaining a difficult word, phrase, or idea
gloss over something phrasal verb
to avoid talking about something unpleasant, or to say as little as possible about it SYN skirt :
She glossed over the details of her divorce.