1. a shiny or lustrous surface appearance
2. an explanatory note or comment, especially on a text
3. a superficially attractive appearance that conceals something less pleasant

1. to give a shiny surface to something
2. to provide an explanation or interpretation of
3. to give a deceptively attractive appearance to something

Examples

• The magazine’s pages had a high gloss finish.
• The teacher added a gloss to explain the difficult passage.
• The politician tried to put a positive gloss on the scandal.
• She glossed her lips with clear balm.
• The professor glossed the ancient text for his students.
• The report glossed over the serious problems.
• The car’s paint had lost its gloss over time.
• Medieval manuscripts often contained marginal glosses.