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⇱ gloss over - WordReference.com Dictionary of English



Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
gloss over vb (transitive, adverb)
  1. to hide under a deceptively attractive surface or appearance
  2. to deal with (unpleasant facts) rapidly and cursorily, or to omit them altogether from an account of something
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
gloss1 /glɑs, glɔs/USA pronunciation   n. [uncountable]
  1. a luster or shine on the surface of something;
    glaze:the gloss of satin.
  2. a falsely good appearance.
  3. Clothinga cosmetic that adds sheen or luster, esp. lip gloss

v. [+ object]
  1. to put a gloss on:glossed her lips.
  2. gloss over, to give a falsely good appearance to:to gloss over someone's mistakes.

gloss2 /glɑs, glɔs/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. an explanation or translation, by means of a note in the margin of a text.

v. [+ object]
  1. to insert glosses on.
See -glot-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
gloss1  (glos, glôs),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a superficial luster or shine;
    glaze:the gloss of satin.
  2. a false or deceptively good appearance.
  3. Also, glosser. a cosmetic that adds sheen or luster, esp. one for the lips.

v.t. 
  1. to put a gloss upon.
  2. to give a false or deceptively good appearance to:to gloss over flaws in the woodwork.
  • probably akin to Dutch gloos glowing, Middle High German glosen to glow, shine, Swedish dialect, dialectal glysa to shine 1530–40
glossless, adj. 
    1. See polish. 2. front, pretense.

gloss2  (glos, glôs),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. an explanation or translation, by means of a marginal or interlinear note, of a technical or unusual expression in a manuscript text.
  2. a series of verbal interpretations of a text.
  3. a glossary.
  4. an artfully misleading interpretation.

v.t. 
  1. to insert glosses on;
    annotate.
  2. to place (a word) in a gloss.
  3. to give a specious interpretation of;
    explain away (often fol. by over or away):to gloss over a serious problem with a pat solution.

v.i. 
  1. to make glosses.
  • Medieval Latin glōssāre, derivative of glōsa; compare gloze, reflecting Old French pronunciation, pronounced of verb
  • Greek glôssa word requiring explanation, literally, language, tongue; (verb, verbal) Middle English glosen
  • Medieval Latin glōsa, glōza
  • Old French glose)
  • (noun, nominal) Middle English glose (1250–1300
glossing•ly, adv. 
    1. comment, annotation. 2. commentary, critique, exegesis, explication. 5. explain, interpret, analyze, explicate.

gloss-, 
  1. var. of glosso- before a vowel:glossectomy.

gloss., 
  1. glossary.

'gloss over' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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