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
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
Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
At one of these gatherings trouble broke out over girls, glue-sniffing, and hassles caused by confusion over membership in the various branches of the organization.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
March Madness has been fantastic so far this year with both tournaments being played at the same time building excitement and keeping basketball enthusiasts glued to their seats with must watch TV.
—Eric Womack, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for glue
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Noun
Redd, especially, has become one of the team’s foremost culture-setters and behind-the-scenes leaders, a proverbial glue guy who doesn’t often show up in box scores but always shows up in practices or meetings.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
At one of these gatherings trouble broke out over girls, glue-sniffing, and hassles caused by confusion over membership in the various branches of the organization.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
None of us can get to lunch because we’re glued to the window.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
March Madness has been fantastic so far this year with both tournaments being played at the same time building excitement and keeping basketball enthusiasts glued to their seats with must watch TV.
—Eric Womack, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for glue
Cite this Entry
“Glue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glue. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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