What does glair mean?
Glair is a chiefly Scottish noun for mucus or phlegm, particularly the slimy discharge produced during a cold. The word can also sound archaic when it refers to the white of an egg, the transparent, gelatinous part of an egg. In contemporary Scottish English, however, the nasal sense is the familiar one, and the word is often used in a blunt, vividly physical way: it names a substance that is both visible and unpleasant. Because it is uncommon in standard British and American English, glair usually carries a regional or old-fashioned flavour rather than the neutral register of mucus. It remains a useful vocabulary word because it compresses the idea of visible, sticky nasal discharge into a single vivid term, while also preserving an interesting history. Scottish Gaelic clàir, meaning “clear,” lies behind the English word, whose cognates include clear, clarity, and clarify.
nounChiefly in Scottish usage, mucus or phlegm, especially the slimy discharge produced by the nose; formerly and also archaically, the white of an egg.
- Chiefly Scottish: mucus or phlegm, especially nasal mucus.
- Archaic: the white of an egg.
"A raw winter cough brought up glair again and again."
"The cold had him coughing up glair all morning."
"In the old recipe, the egg's glair was beaten to a froth."
Rare and usually unnecessary, since glair is normally an uncountable mass noun.
"He wiped small blobs of glair from his upper lip."
Glair began as a word for egg white before becoming the Scots term for the mucus nobody wants to mention at breakfast.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glair come from?
Glair is recorded in English by the early 17th century. It was borrowed from Scottish Gaelic clàir, meaning “clear,” a meaning that accords with its early sense of “the white of an egg.” The word later became especially associated in Scottish English with nasal mucus and phlegm.
How glair is actually used
The word remains chiefly associated with Scottish English, where its familiar sense is mucus or phlegm. Outside Scottish usage it is uncommon and may sound archaic or strongly regional. It is normally treated as an uncountable mass noun.
Easily confused with glair
Glair means mucus or, archaically, egg white, whereas glare is a harsh reflected light or an angry stare.