glau|co|ma /glɔːkoʊ mə, [AM ] glaʊ-/ N‑UNCOUNT Glaucoma is an eye disease which can cause people to go gradually blind.
glaze /gle I z/ (glazes , glazing , glazed )
1 N‑COUNT A glaze is a thin layer of liquid which is put on a piece of pottery and becomes hard and shiny when the pottery is heated in a very hot oven. □ …hand-painted French tiles with decorative glazes.
2 N‑COUNT A glaze is a thin layer of beaten egg, milk, or other liquid that you spread onto food in order to make the surface shine and look attractive. □ Brush the glaze over the top and sides of the hot cake.
3 VERB When you glaze food such as bread or pastry, you spread a layer of beaten egg, milk, or other liquid onto it before you cook it in order to make its surface shine and look attractive. □ [V n] Glaze the pie with beaten egg.
▸ glaze over PHRASAL VERB If your eyes glaze over , they become dull and lose all expression, usually because you are bored or are thinking about something else. □ [V P ] …movie actors whose eyes glaze over as soon as the subject wavers from themselves.
glazed /gle I zd/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone's eyes as glazed , you mean that their expression is dull or dreamy, usually because they are tired or are having difficulty concentrating on something. □ Doctors with glazed eyes sat in front of a television set. □ There was a glazed look in her eyes.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Glazed pottery is covered with a thin layer of a hard shiny substance.
3 ADJ A glazed window or door has glass in it.
gla|zi|er /gle I ziə r , [AM ] -ʒər/ (glaziers ) N‑COUNT A glazier is someone whose job is fitting glass into windows and doors.
gleam /gliː m/ (gleams , gleaming , gleamed )
1 VERB If an object or a surface gleams , it reflects light because it is shiny and clean. □ [V ] His black hair gleamed in the sun. □ [V -ing] …a gleaming red sports car.
2 N‑SING You can refer to the light reflected from something as a gleam . [LITERARY ] □ …the gleam of the dark river. □ In the light from the hall, her hair had a golden gleam.
3 VERB If your eyes gleam , they look bright and show that you are excited or happy. [WRITTEN ]
4 N‑COUNT A gleam of something is a faint sign of it. □ [+ of ] There was a gleam of hope for a peaceful settlement.
glean /gliː n/ (gleans , gleaning , gleaned ) VERB If you glean something such as information or knowledge, you learn or collect it slowly and patiently, and perhaps indirectly. □ [V n + from ] At present we're gleaning information from all sources. □ [be V -ed + from ] 10,000 pages of evidence were gleaned from hundreds and hundreds of interviews.
glee /gliː / N‑UNCOUNT [oft with N ] Glee is a feeling of happiness and excitement, often caused by someone else's misfortune. □ There was much glee among journalists over the leaked letter.
glee|ful /gliː fʊl/ ADJ Someone who is gleeful is happy and excited, often because of someone else's bad luck. [WRITTEN ] □ He took an almost gleeful delight in showing how wrong they can be. ● glee|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ I spent the rest of their visit gleefully boring them with tedious details.
glen /gle n/ (glens ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] A glen is a deep, narrow valley, especially in the mountains of Scotland or Ireland.
glib /gl I b/ ADJ If you describe what someone says as glib , you disapprove of it because it implies that something is simple or easy, or that there are no problems involved, when this is not the case. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the glib talk of 'past misery'. □ Mr. Lewis takes an insufferably glib attitude toward it all. ● glib|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ We talk glibly of equality of opportunity.
glide /gla I d/ (glides , gliding , glided )
1 VERB If you glide somewhere, you move silently and in a smooth and effortless way. □ [V prep/adv] Waiters glide between tightly packed tables bearing trays of pasta.
2 VERB When birds or aeroplanes glide , they float on air currents. □ [V prep/adv] … the albatross, which glides effortlessly and gracefully behind the yacht. [Also V ]
glid|er /gla I də r / (gliders ) N‑COUNT A glider is an aircraft without an engine, which flies by floating on air currents.
glid|ing /gla I d I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Gliding is the sport or activity of flying in a glider.
glim|mer /gl I mə r / (glimmers , glimmering , glimmered )
1 VERB If something glimmers , it produces or reflects a faint, gentle, often unsteady light. □ [V ] The moon glimmered faintly through the mists. □ [V -ing] …the glimmering ocean.
2 N‑COUNT A glimmer is a faint, gentle, often unsteady light. □ [+ of ] In the east there is the slightest glimmer of light.
3 N‑COUNT A glimmer of something is a faint sign of it. □ [+ of ] Despite an occasional glimmer of hope, this campaign has not produced any results. □ [+ of ] He is celebrating his first glimmer of success.
glim|mer|ing /gl I mər I ŋ/ (glimmerings ) N‑COUNT A glimmering of something is a faint sign of it. □ [+ of ] …a glimmering of understanding. □ [+ of ] …the first glimmerings of civilization.
glimpse /gl I mps/ (glimpses , glimpsing , glimpsed )