glue

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: any of various strong adhesive substances
especially : a hard protein chiefly gelatinous substance that absorbs water to form a viscous solution with strong adhesive properties and that is obtained by cooking down collagenous materials (such as hides or bones)
b
: a solution of glue used for sticking things together
2
: something that binds together
enough social glue … to satisfy the human desire for communityE. D. Hirsch, Jr.
gluey adjective
gluily adverb

glue

2 of 2

verb

glued; gluing also glueing

transitive verb

1
: to cause to stick tightly with or as if with glue
gluing the parts together
used that war to glue together a frail storyGloria Emerson
2
: to cause to remain continuously or to be fixed steadily
usually used with to
the spectators were glued to their seats
all eyes glued to the TV screen

Examples of glue in a Sentence

Noun The hardware store offers several different glues. used glue to stick the photo in the album Verb I glued the pieces of the cup back together.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
For the generations of Republicans who steered the party from the 1860s until the Cold War, tariffs were the glue that held together a political coalition. Bruce J. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024 Simply pop out the pieces and fit them together—no tape or glue necessary. Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
Your once-chatty child may now come home, eyes glued to their phone, and disappear behind a closed bedroom door. Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 That’s a question on the minds of retailers and consumer brands, including Walmart and SharkNinja, that are hoping shoppers will browse and buy rather than become glued to the news. Melissa Repko, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for glue 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English glu, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin glut-, glus; akin to Latin gluten glue — more at clay

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glue was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near glue

Cite this Entry

“Glue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glue. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

glue

1 of 2 noun
: a substance used to stick things tightly together
gluey adjective

glue

2 of 2 verb
glued; gluing also glueing
: to stick with or as if with glue

More from Merriam-Webster on glue

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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