In English, the word gloss has several distinct but related meanings that have evolved over time. The most common meaning refers to shine, luster, or surface brightness, the degree to which a material reflects light. For example, paint gloss describes how shiny the dried paint is, from flat with no shine to high-gloss with mirror-like reflectivity. Lip gloss is a cosmetic that adds wet-looking shine to lips. The second major meaning is academic and literary. A gloss is a brief explanation, definition, translation, or annotation of a difficult, archaic, or foreign word or passage, often written in the margins or between lines of a manuscript. A collection of such notes is a glossary. As a verb, to gloss means to provide such an explanation. There is also a figurative verb sense, to gloss over, which means to ignore, minimize, or cover up a fault or problem by making it seem less important. In legal contexts, gloss can mean an interpretation added to a statute over time through practice. So in English, gloss can mean physical shine or intellectual explanation, both involving adding a layer that makes something brighter or clearer.
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