glosses Definition

gloss¹
noun glosses

1. Shiny brightness on a surface.

Thesaurus: brightness, sheen, shine, varnish, veneer, lustre, polish, gleam, burnish.
2. A superficial pleasantness or attractiveness.
3. Paint which produces a shiny finish.

Form: gloss paint (in full)
4. A substance which adds shine.

Example: lip gloss

verb glosses, glossed, glossing

1. To give a shiny finish to something.
2. To paint (a surface, etc) with gloss.

Etymology: 16c.

Phrasal Verb: gloss over something

To disguise or mask (a deficiency, mistake, etc), especially by treating a subject briefly and dismissively. Compare gloss something over at gloss².

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gloss²
noun glosses

1. A short explanation of a difficult word, phrase, etc in a text, eg in the margin of a manuscript.

Thesaurus: commentary, explanation, annotation, footnote, interpretation, elucidation, note.
2. An intentionally misleading explanation.

verb glossed, glossing

1. To provide a gloss of (a word, etc) or add glosses to (a text).

Thesaurus: explain, annotate, interpret, comment on, elucidate.
2. To explain it away; to give a different or false interpretation of it. Compare gloss over something at gloss¹.

Form: gloss something over (also)
Form: gloss something away

Etymology: 16c: from Latin glossa a word requiring explanation.