1
a
: any of various strong adhesive substances
especially
: a hard protein chiefly gelatinous substance that absorbs water to form a viscous solution with strong adhesive properties and that is obtained by cooking down collagenous materials (such as hides or bones)
b
: a solution of glue used for sticking things together
2
: something that binds together
enough social glue … to satisfy the human desire for community—
E. D. Hirsch, Jr.
E. D. Hirsch, Jr.
glued; gluing also glueing
1
: to cause to stick tightly with or as if with glue
gluing the parts together
used that war to glue together a frail story—Gloria Emerson
Gloria Emerson2
: to cause to remain continuously or to be fixed steadily
—usually used with to
the spectators were glued to their seats
all eyes glued to the TV screen
Synonyms
Examples of glue in a Sentence
Noun
The hardware store offers several different glues.
used glue to stick the photo in the album
Verb
I glued the pieces of the cup back together.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
The infamously scary tunnel connecting Coraline to her Other Mother was made with an air hose attached to a glue gun sprayed over wires to get that cobweb effect.
—Emiliana Betancourt, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 8 Nov. 2024
In principle, mass timber is like plywood but on a much larger scale: The smaller pieces are layered and glued together under pressure in large specialized presses.
—Kurt Kleiner, JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for glue 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Both players became glue guys on a team that, while lacking one overarching leader, bonded by getting contributions from across the roster.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
The infamously scary tunnel connecting Coraline to her Other Mother was made with an air hose attached to a glue gun sprayed over wires to get that cobweb effect.
—Emiliana Betancourt, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
Those things that mature fairly dry can be hung just as they are, strung, glued, or otherwise attached to just about anything that can’t outrun you and a glue gun.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 8 Nov. 2024
In principle, mass timber is like plywood but on a much larger scale: The smaller pieces are layered and glued together under pressure in large specialized presses.
—Kurt Kleiner, JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for glue
Dictionary Entries Near glue
Cite this Entry
“Glue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glue. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share