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
Noun
Each kit comes with four paint colors, glitter glue, two paint brushes, and stickers. Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2024 Playing Favorites proves that joy can show up defiantly, wearing a sleeveless denim vest, and sometimes, a rollicking good time is the glue holding our hearts together. Linnie Greene, SPIN, 6 Mar. 2024 Two vital ingredients in making slime are glue and borax, according to PBS. Paloma Chavez, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2024 Wrap the strip into a ring large enough to hold an egg and secure with glue. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Feb. 2024 This was covered in other shots, but that was the glue to everything. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024 Andrew Lincoln really was the glue that held the show together and without him? Paul Tassi, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 European Neanderthals were among the first engineers and chemists, producing one of the first types of glue from a mixture of raw materials at least 40,000 years ago, a new analysis finds. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 In addition to hunting cave lions, creating art, cooking crabs, and potentially being the ultimate morning people, Neanderthals in what is now Europe also used their own kind of glue. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
One man glued his head to the glass protecting the famous painting, while another threw tomato soup over the first man and then glued his own hand to the wall. Catherine Nicholls, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 They’re all glued to the live web camera that’s focused on two bald eagles in their giant nest high above Big Bear Lake in Southern California. Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2024 Production designer Julie Berghoff (Army of the Dead) deserves credit for making each location feel as real as possible, while cinematographer Jonathan Sela (Bullet Train) uses lots of crafty handheld camerawork to keep us glued to the action. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 Note that these ideas are completely analog, which is great for your creative juices if you’re glued to a screen for most of the time. Janine MacLachlan, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 But she is glued to the news, terrified for those still trapped in Gaza. Ruby Mellen, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024 With a massive audience of viewers who are glued to the Super Bowl commercials, brands are willing to pay up to secure a sliver of airtime. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2024 At the end of the day, most of us find ourselves on the couch, eyes glued to the television or to our smartphones. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 Anyone’s muscles can feel a little cramped after an especially tense workday—maybe from being hunched over a laptop, glued to a rigid chair, standing for hours, or even squeezing a stress ball for dear life. Erica Sweeney, SELF, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 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

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