gloss

v. add an explanatory note (in the margins of a text, etc.); comment; polish, add a shiny finish to; cover up, give a deceptively appealing appearance to

n. glossy finish; surface appearance (often deceptive or false); cosmetic which makes the lips shiny; explanatory note (in the margins of a text, etc.); commentary

A gloss (from Koine Greek γλώσσα glossa, meaning 'tongue' -- the organ -- as well as 'language') 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.
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Noun
1. an explanation or definition of an obscure word in a text
(synonym) rubric
(hypernym) explanation, account
2. an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a text on that field
(synonym) glossary
(hypernym) wordbook
3. the property of being smooth and shiny
(synonym) polish, glossiness, burnish
(hypernym) radiance, radiancy, shine, effulgence, refulgence, refulgency
(hyponym) French polish
4. an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading; "he hoped his claims would have a semblance of authenticity"; "he tried to give his falsehood the gloss of moral sanction"; "the situation soon took on a different color"
(synonym) semblance, color, colour
(hypernym) appearance, visual aspect
(hyponym) color of law, colour of law
(derivation) color, colour
Verb
1. give a shine or gloss to, usually by rubbing
(hypernym) polish, smooth, smoothen, shine
(entail) rub
(see-also) gloss over, skate over, smooth over, slur over, skimp over
(derivation) polish, glossiness, burnish
2. provide interlinear explanations for words or phrases; "He annotated on what his teacher had written"
(synonym) comment, annotate
(hypernym) interpret
(derivation) glossary
3. provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase
(hypernym) translate, interpret, render
(derivation) glossary
4. gloss or excuse; "color a lie"
(synonym) color, colour
(hypernym) apologize, apologise, excuse, justify, rationalize, rationalise
(derivation) semblance, color, colour

(v. t.)
To render clear and evident by comments; to illustrate; to explain; to annotate.
  

(v. t.)
To give a superficial luster or gloss to; to make smooth and shining; as, to gloss cloth.
  

(v. t.)
To give a specious appearance to; to render specious and plausible; to palliate by specious explanation.
  

(v. i.)
To make sly remarks, or insinuations.
  

(v. i.)
To make comments; to comment; to explain.
  

(n.)
Brightness or luster of a body proceeding from a smooth surface; polish; as, the gloss of silk; cloth is calendered to give it a gloss.
  

(n.)
An interpretation, consisting of one or more words, interlinear or marginal; an explanatory note or comment; a running commentary.
  

(n.)
A specious appearance; superficial quality or show.
  

(n.)
A foreign, archaic, technical, or other uncommon word requiring explanation.
  

(n.)
A false or specious explanation.
  

Synonyms and related words:
abuse of terms, acting, affectation, afterglow, air glow, alibi, allowance, amplification, analysis, annotate, annotation, apology, apparatus criticus, appearance, apply paint, attitudinizing, bedaub, bedizen, begild, belie, besmear, bilingual text, biographical dictionary, blind, bluff, bluffing, brightness, brush on paint, buff, burnish, butter, calcimine, camouflage, candescence, catachresis, cheating, chemical dictionary, clavis, cloak, coat, color, coloring, comment, comment upon, commentary, commentate, commentation, complexion, conceal, contort, contorting, cover, cover story, cover up, cover-up, creamy, crib, critical review, criticism, criticize, critique, cursoriness, dab, daub, deception, decipherment, decoding, decontamination, deep-dye, define, definition, delicate, delusion, desk dictionary, device, dialect dictionary, dictionary, dictionary of quotations, dip, disguise, dissemblance, dissembling, dissimulation, distemper, distort, distortion, double-dye, dress up, dye, edit, editorial, eggshell, eisegesis, electronics dictionary, elucidate, elucidation, embellish, emblazon, embroider, enamel, engild, epidermis, error, etymological dictionary, excuse, exegesis, explain, explanation, explicate, explication, extenuating circumstances, extenuation, extenuative, exteriority, facade, face, faithful translation, fakery, faking, false air, false appearance, false front, false show, falsify, falsity, fast-dye, feigning, feint, finish, flat, flush, footnote, foreign-language dictionary, four-flushing, fraud, free translation, fresco, front, fudge, furbish, garble, garbling, gazetteer, general dictionary, geological dictionary, get one wrong, get wrong, gild, gilding, gilt, glance, glaze, gleam, glint, gloss, gloss over, glossary, glossiness, glow, gradus, grain, guise, handle, hide, hue, humbug, humbuggery, illuminate, imbue, imposture, incandescence, ingrain, interlinear, interlinear translation, interpret, interpretation, iridescent, japan, key, lacquer, lame excuse, lay on, lay on color, leader, leading article, lexicon, light, locus standi, loose translation, luster, make an edition, malentendu, malobservation, mask, masquerade, mellow, mere scratch, meretriciousness, metaphrase, misapplication, misapply, misapprehend, misapprehension, miscitation, miscite, miscolor, misconceive, misconception, misconstruction, misconstrue, misdeem, misexplain, misexplanation, misexplicate, misexplication, misexposition, misexpound, misintelligence, misinterpret, misinterpretation, misjudge, misjudgment, misquotation, misquote, misread, misreading, misrender, misrendering, misreport, misrepresent, misstate, mistake, mistranslate, mistranslation, misunderstand, misunderstanding, misuse of words, mitigation, mother-of-pearl, nacreous, no depth, no water, nomenclator, notation, note, note of explanation, notice, onomasticon, opalescent, ostensible motive, ostentation, outward show, overstate, paint, pale, palliation, palliative, paraphrase, parget, pastel, patina, patinaed, pearly, perversion, pervert, phrase book, pigment, pinprick, playacting, polish, polyglot dictionary, pony, poor excuse, pose, posing, posture, pretense, pretension, pretext, prime, protestation, public motive, put-off, qualification, quiet, refuge, remark, remark upon, report, representation, restatement, review, rewording, rhyming dictionary, rind, rub, running commentary, sad, scholium, science dictionary, scour, scratch, screen, seeming, semblance, semigloss, shade, shadow, shallowness, sham, sheen, shellac, shine, shininess, shining light, shoaliness, show, silkiness, simple, simulacrum, simulation, skin, skylight, slang dictionary, slant, slap on, slather, sleek, sleekness, slick, slick down, slickness, slightness, slop on paint, smear, smear on, smoke screen, smooth over, sober, soft, soft-colored, soft-hued, softened, softening, somber, specialized dictionary, speciousness, spread on, spread with, squeeze, squeezing, stain, stalking-horse, stipple, strain, strain the sense, stratagem, subdued, subterfuge, subtle, sunset glow, superficiality, superficies, surface, sweet, synonym dictionary, synonymy, tar, tender, thesaurus, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, titivate, tone, torture, torturing, transcription, translate, translation, transliteration, treasury of words, trick, trick out, triviality, trot, twist, twist the words, twisting, unabridged dictionary, undercoat, understate, varnish, veil, veneer, vocabulary, wash, wax, whitewash, whitewashing, window dressing, word of explanation, wordbook, wrench, wrenching, write-up