Home > Terms > English, UK (UE) > Gloss
Gloss
A gloss (from Koine Greek γλώσσα glossa, meaning 'tongue') is a note made in the margins or between the lines of a book, in which the meaning of the text in its original language is explained, sometimes in another language. As such, glosses can vary in thoroughness and complexity, from simple marginal notations of words one reader found difficult or obscure, to entire interlinear translations of the original text and cross references to similar passages. A collection of glosses is a glossary (though glossary also means simply a collection of specialised terms with their meanings). A collection of mediaeval legal glosses, made by so called glossators, commenting legal texts, is called an apparatus. The compilation of glosses into glossaries was the beginning of lexicography, and the glossaries so compiled were in fact the first dictionaries.
- Part of Speech: noun
- Synonym(s):
- Blossary:
- Industry/Domain: Language
- Category: Linguistics
- Company:
- Product:
- Acronym-Abbreviation:
Other Languages:
Member comments
Terms in the News
Featured Terms
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple (April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was easily the most popular child star of all time. She began her film career in 1932 at the age ...
Contributor
Featured blossaries
Browers Terms By Category
- Plastic injection molding(392)
- Industrial manufacturing(279)
- Paper production(220)
- Fiberglass(171)
- Contract manufacturing(108)
- Glass(45)
Manufacturing(1257) Terms
- Hair salons(194)
- Laundry facilities(15)
- Vetinary care(12)
- Death care products(3)
- Gyms(1)
- Portrait photography(1)
Consumer services(226) Terms
- SSL certificates(48)
- Wireless telecommunications(3)
Wireless technologies(51) Terms
- Hand tools(59)
- Garden tools(45)
- General tools(10)
- Construction tools(2)
- Paint brush(1)