Meaning & use
glove
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Meanings
nouncountable
A covering for the hand that has separate parts for each finger and the thumb, worn for warmth or protection.
Grammar: Countable; plural is gloves. Often used in pairs: a pair of gloves.
Patterns
- a pair of gloves
- wear gloves
- put on gloves
- take off gloves
She put on her woolen gloves before going outside.
The goalkeeper wore special gloves to catch the ball.
These rubber gloves will protect your hands while you clean.
nouncountablesport
A padded covering for the hand used in sports like boxing or baseball.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural to refer to a pair.
Patterns
- boxing gloves
- baseball glove
- wear gloves
The boxer laced up his gloves before the match.
He caught the ball with his new baseball glove.
Word forms
| plural | gloves |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pair of gloves
- I bought a pair of gloves for the winter.
- wear gloves
- You should wear gloves when handling these chemicals.
- put on gloves
- The nurse put on gloves before examining the patient.
- take off gloves
- He took off his gloves and shook my hand.
- glove compartment
- She keeps the map in the glove compartment of her car.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mitten
- A mitten covers the whole hand with one section for the thumb and one for the other fingers, so it is warmer but less flexible than a glove.
Word family
Commonly confused: glove or globe?
glove vs globe
A globe is a sphere representing the earth; a glove is a hand covering. They sound similar but have different meanings.
Practice
What is the main difference between a glove and a mitten?
Choose one answer.
A glove has individual parts for each finger and the thumb, while a mitten covers the four fingers together and has a separate part only for the thumb. The other options describe materials or uses that are not the defining difference.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “glove”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.