— glidingly , adv.
/gluyd/ , v. , glided, gliding , n.
v.i.
1. to move smoothly and continuously along, as if without effort or resistance, as a flying bird, a boat, or a skater.
2. to pass by gradual or unobservable change (often fol. by along, away, by, etc.).
3. to move quietly or stealthily or without being noticed (usually fol. by in, out, along, etc.).
4. Aeron.
a. to move in the air, esp. at an easy angle downward, with less engine power than for level flight, solely by the action of air currents and gravity, or by momentum already acquired.
b. to fly in a glider.
5. Music. to pass from one note to another without a break.
v.t.
6. to cause to glide.
n.
7. a gliding movement, as in dancing.
8. a dance marked by such movements.
9. Music. slur (def. 10a).
10. Phonet.
a. a speech sound having the characteristics of both a consonant and a vowel, esp. w in wore and y in your, and, in some analyses, r in road and l in load; semivowel.
b. a transitional sound heard during the articulation linking two phonemically contiguous sounds, as the y- sound often heard between the i and e of quiet.
11. a calm stretch of shallow, smoothly flowing water, as in a river.
12. an act or instance of gliding.
13. Metall. slip 1 (def. 56).
14. a smooth metal plate, as on the bottom of the feet of a chair or table, to facilitate moving and to prevent scarring of floor surfaces.
15. a metal track in which a drawer, shelf, etc., moves in or out.
[ bef. 900; ME gliden (v.), OE glidan; c. G gleiten ]
Syn. 1. flow. See slide .
Ant. 1. stick.