ENGLISH
REFERENCE

glove

n. · v.
US //ˈɡɫəv// UK //ɡlˈʌv// glove
  1. 1 clothing for the hand (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a piece of clothing that covers your hand and fingers to keep them warm or safe.

    a covering for the hand, typically having separate sections for each finger and the thumb.

    Example

    She put on her leather gloves before going out into the cold morning air.

    Example

    The surgeon pulled on a pair of sterile latex gloves before beginning the delicate procedure.
    • mitten
  2. 2 sports equipment (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Sport

    a thick, padded covering for the hand used in sports like baseball or boxing.

    a padded or reinforced hand covering designed for protection or performance in specific sports.

    Example

    The catcher caught the fast ball right in the centre of his glove.

    Example

    The boxer tightened the laces on his gloves, preparing for the final round of the championship match.
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  1. 3 condom (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Informal

    a slang word for a condom.

    a slang term for a condom, often used in the phrase 'no glove, no love'.

    Example

    He made sure he had a glove in his wallet before going out.

    Example

    The health clinic distributed free gloves and educational pamphlets to promote safe practices among the local student population.
  2. 4 to put on gloves (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    to put gloves on your hands.

    to cover or provide the hands with gloves; often used in the passive or as a participle.

    Example

    The butler was neatly gloved in white silk as he opened the door.

    Example

    The protagonist was carefully gloved and masked, hiding any physical evidence of his identity from the witnesses.
    • unglove
  3. 5 to catch a ball (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate American English Sport

    to catch a ball using a sports glove.

    to successfully catch a ball using a baseball mitt or similar equipment.

    Example

    The shortstop gloved the ground ball and threw it quickly to first base.

    Example

    He expertly gloved the line drive, preventing what would have surely been a home run for the opposing team.
Origin

From Middle English glove, glofe, from Old English glōf, glōfe, glōfa, ("glove"; weak forms attested only in plural form glōfan (“gloves”)), from Proto-Germanic galōfô (“glove”), from Proto-Germanic ga- (“collective and associative prefix”) + Proto-Germanic lōfô (“flat of the hand, palm”), from Proto-Indo-European lāp-, lēp-, lep- (“flat”). Cognate with Scots gluve, gluive (“glove”), Icelandic glófi (“glove”). Related to Middle English lofe, lufe (“palm of the hand”). More at loof.

Word family

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