Glamour

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ˈɡlæmÉ™/
• US IPA: /ˈɡlæmÉš/

Alternative forms

• glamor US (Commonwealth-spelling widely accepted across the states.)

Origin

From Scots glamer, from earlier Scots gramarye ("magic, enchantment, spell").

The Scottish term may either be from Ancient Greek γραμμάριον (grammárion, "gram"), the weight unit of ingredients used to make magic potions, or an alteration of the English word grammar ("any sort of scholarship, especially occult learning").

A connection has also been suggested with Old Norse glámr (poet. “moon,” name of a ghost) and glámsýni ("glamour, illusion", literally glam-sight).

Full definition of glamour

Noun

1. (countable) an item, motif, person, image that by association improves appearance
2. Witchcraft; magic charm; a spell affecting the eye, making objects appear different from what they really are.
3. A kind of haze in the air, causing things to appear different from what they really are.
4. Any artificial interest in, or association with, an object, or person, through which it or they appear delusively magnified or glorified.
5. (uncountable) Alluring beauty or charm (often with sex appeal)

Derived terms

• glamorous/glamourous
• glamorously
• glamour model
• glamour photography
• glammed up
• glam rock
• glam

Verb

1. (transitive) To enchant; to bewitch.