I. ˈgləv noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English glōf; akin to Old Norse glōfi glove; both probably from a prehistoric North Germanic-West Germanic compound whose first constituent is represented by Old English ge- (perfective, associative, and collective prefix) and whose second constituent is represented by Old Norse lōfi palm of the hand, Gothic lofa; akin to Old High German laffa palm of the hand, Lithuanian lopa claw, Russian lapa paw — more at co-
1.
a. : a covering for the hand having separate sections or merely separate openings for each of the fingers and the thumb and often extending part way up the arm and made of various materials (as leather, wool, rubber) either with or without a snap or button or other fastening at the wrist and used to protect the hand against cold
a bitter day and they wore wool-lined gloves
or intense heat
asbestos gloves
or irritation
wore a pair of rubber gloves while washing the dishes
or superficial injury
a falconer's glove
an archer's glove
or to avoid contamination
surgeons wearing sterile gloves
gloves for handling radioactive materials
or as a dress accessory
a pair of silk evening gloves
— often used with pair ; distinguished from mitt and mitten
b. : gauntlet 1a
a glove of mail
c. : gauntlet 2
threw down the glove to skeptical critics — C.R.Anderson
2.
a. : a usually leather covering for the hands padded and reinforced at the palm and fingers and often having sections designed to cover more than one finger instead of having separate finger sections and used by defending players in the game of baseball to protect the hand when catching a thrown or struck ball — compare mitt
b. : boxing glove
getting rusty in his boxing, hasn't put the gloves on for six months
•
- with gloves
- with gloves off
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1.
a. : to cover with or as if with a glove : draw a glove over
gloving his right hand as he spoke
b. : to furnish with gloves
warmly bundled up and gloved for the trip
2. : to catch a (baseball) in one's gloved hand
gloved a stinging line drive and fired it to first base