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noun

glue

gloo
noun
1
A sticky substance used to join things together.
"He used glue to fix the broken handle back onto the mug."
2
Something that holds people or things together figuratively.
"Shared humour was the glue that held the friend group together."
verb
1
To join something using glue.
"She glued the photos into the scrapbook."
2
(informal) To fix one's attention firmly on something.
"He was glued to the television during the final match."

How to Use Glue

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA sticky adhesive, or figuratively, whatever holds something together.

Common mistake

"Glued to" something (like a screen) means paying very close, fixed attention to it — not literally stuck.

Common pairings
glue together glued to the screen a stick of glue

Word Forms

glued past tense, glues plural, glues singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

He used _____ to fix the broken handle back onto the mug.

Etymology

From Old French glu, from Late Latin glus, tracing back to Latin gluten — the same root that gives us the word "gluten."

Rhymes for glue

See all rhymes for glue →
Definitions: FreeDict original editorial