glair noun & verb. ['glɛ:] As noun also (earlier) glaire. ME.
[Old & mod. French glaire from medieval Latin glarea from var. of medieval Latin use as noun of Latin clarus clear.]
A. noun.
1. The white of an egg, esp. as used in various preparations; spec. in Bookbinding, an adhesive made from this applied before blocking or tooling in gold leaf. ME.

2. Any slimy viscous substance resembling egg-white. E16.
b. verb trans. Orig., paint, daub. Later, smear with glair. M16.

■ glaireous adjective of the nature of glair; slimy, viscous: M17.

■ glairy adjective (freq. in Medicine) = glaireous M17.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲