What does glove mean?
A glove is a fitted covering for the hand, normally made from leather, fabric, or another flexible material and divided so that each finger has its own compartment. Gloves may be worn for warmth, protection, formal dress, or specialized activities such as boxing. The word also has a verb use meaning to put a glove on or cover the hand with one, although the participial expression “gloved hands” is more common than a finite use of the verb. In figurative language, “fit like a glove” describes something that fits perfectly, while “hand in glove with” means closely associated with someone or something. The distinction between a glove and a mitten is important: a mitten encloses the fingers together, whereas a glove separates them. Though ordinary today, the word also occurs in ceremonial language, where “gloves” can refer to elegant accessories associated with formal dress, diplomacy, or traditional ceremony.
A covering for the hand, usually made of leather or fabric and fitted with separate fingers; also a padded item used to protect the hand in sports.
"The gardener wore thick gloves to protect her hands from the thorns."
The word also refers to formal or ceremonial hand coverings and commonly occurs in the plural for protective or fashion accessories.
To put a glove on, or to cover one's hand with a glove.
"The technician gloved his hands before handling the battery."
This use is less common in everyday speech; “gloved” is much more frequently used as a participial adjective, as in “gloved hands.”
The regular plural is “gloves”; when referring to a pair, it is often expressed as “a pair of gloves.”
"She kept a pair of gloves in the pocket of her coat."
The glove's Germanic relatives could mean either a hand or a fist, so the word carries the intimate idea of the body's most expressive extremity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glove come from?
Modern English inherited the word from Old English glof, which in turn came from Proto-Germanic *glufaz, a term associated with the hand or fist. It is related to Old Norse glúfi and the now archaic Dutch gloof, both of which could refer to a hand or fist. The exact ultimate origin of the Proto-Germanic word is uncertain.
Related word forms
How glove is actually used
A glove differs from a mitten because a glove has separate finger compartments, whereas a mitten encloses the fingers together. The verb is relatively uncommon in ordinary speech, although forms such as “gloved hands” are widely understood and frequently used.