Glue

Pronunciation

• IPA: /É¡luː/
• Rhymes: -uː

Origin

From Old French glu (now ‘birdlime’), from Late Latin glus, glut-, from Latin gluten.

Full definition of glue

Noun

1. A hard gelatin made by boiling bones and hides, used in solution as an adhesive; or any sticky adhesive substance.
2. (obsolete) Birdlime.

Derived terms

• bee glue
• fish glue
• glue plant
• glue stick
• glueball
• gluey
• marine glue

Verb

1. (transitive) To join or attach something using glue.I need to glue the chair-leg back into place.
2. (transitive) To cause something to adhere closely to; to follow attentively.His eyes were glued to the screen.
• 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 4So as I lay on the ground with my ear glued close against the wall, who should march round the church but John Trenchard, Esquire, not treading delicately like King Agag, or spying, but just come on a voyage of discovery for himself.

Derived terms

• screwed, glued and tattooed

Anagrams

• luge
• UGLE