gloss

Everyday

1. A smooth shine on a surface: the gloss on a new car. tree →
2. Gloss paint: shiny paint used on doors and wood. tree →
3. A make-up product that makes lips shiny: lip gloss. tree →
4. A short explanation of a word or phrase, often written in the margin or in a glossary. tree →
5. (verb) «Gloss over» means to talk about a problem quickly so people do not notice it. tree →

In the lessons

In art and DIY, gloss paint is shiny and easy to wipe, unlike matt paint. In reading and language lessons a gloss explains a hard word; a glossary is a list of them at the back of a book. In everyday talk, «glossing over» a mistake means hiding it by not talking about it. Phrases: gloss paint, lip gloss, high gloss, gloss over.

Examples

• Dad painted the door with white gloss. tree →
• The horse's coat had a lovely gloss after brushing. tree →
• My sister wears strawberry lip gloss. tree →
• The book gives a gloss for each hard word. tree →
• The coach glossed over our mistakes and praised our effort. tree →
• Photos can be printed in gloss or matt. tree →
• Don't gloss over the problem, tell me what really happened. tree →
• Be clean, for the strength of the hunter is known by the gloss of his hide. tree →

Note

Plural: glosses. Uncountable when it means shine: «the gloss on the floor». Opposite of gloss paint is matt (UK) / matte (US). «Glossy» is the adjective: a glossy magazine. «Glossary» is a list of glosses (word meanings).