What is a gloss in Spanish?

In Spanish, the word gloss can be translated in several ways depending on its meaning, because English gloss has multiple senses. When gloss means shine or luster, the Spanish equivalents are brillo, lustre, or resplandor. For example, paint gloss is brillo de pintura, high-gloss is alto brillo, lip gloss is brillo de labios or brillo labial, and glossy paper is papel brillante or papel lustroso. When gloss means an explanatory note or annotation in literature or language, the Spanish equivalent is glosa, which is a direct cognate from Latin glossa. A glosa is a brief explanation or commentary on a text. A glossary is glosario, which is a list of difficult terms with definitions. The verb to gloss as in to explain is glosar. The phrasal verb to gloss over meaning to minimize or hide is often translated as pasar por alto, minimizar, or encubrir. For example, to gloss over a mistake would be pasar por alto un error. So there is no single Spanish word that covers all senses of English gloss. You need to choose brillo for shine and glosa for annotation. The context determines the correct translation.