Glove

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ɡlʌv/

Definitions

1. A covering for the hand, typically with separate sections for each finger and the thumb, worn for protection, warmth, or grip
2. An item worn on the hands, featuring individual compartments for the fingers and thumb, designed for various functions including comfort and safety
3. A protective covering for the hand that has distinct slots for each finger and the thumb, often used for both warmth and performance

Etymology: The English word has a surprisingly literal core: it was built from a prefix meaning "together" and a word for the palm of the hand. Old English "glōf" grew from Proto-Germanic "galōfô", a compound of "ga-", a collective prefix, and "lōfô", meaning "flat of the hand" or palm. So a glove was, at root, something like a set of palms gathered together, a covering that packaged the hand. The palm word itself survives in English as "loof", a dialect and Scots term for the palm, and it shows up in the same family as Scots "gluve" and Icelandic "glófi". The base idea of "flat" links it to the Proto-Indo-European root for flatness, which also gave the source of words for flat surfaces in other languages. The noun and verb uses both descend from the same Old English stock, so the verb "to glove", meaning to cover with a glove, came later from the noun rather than from a separate root.

Synonyms: mitt, handwear, gauntlet, covering, protector

Antonyms: n/a