Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
gleek. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
gleek, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
gleek in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
gleek you have here. The definition of the word
gleek will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
gleek, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle French glic, from Old French glic (“a game of cards”), of Germanic origin from or related to Middle High German glücke, gelücke (“luck”) and Middle Dutch gelīc (“like, alike”). More at luck, like.
Noun
gleek (countable and uncountable, plural gleeks)
- (uncountable) A once-popular game of cards played by three people.
1640, Ben Jonson, The Magnetick Lady, or, Hvmors Reconcil'd, act 2, scene 4:Lady Loadstone: Laugh, and keep company, at gleek or crimp. / Mistress Polish: Your ladyship says right, crimp sure will cure her.
- (countable) Three of the same cards held in one hand; three of a kind.
Translations
game of cards for three people
three of the same card in a hand
See also
Etymology 2
Related to Etymology 1. Of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse *gleikr, leikr (“sport, play, game”), from Proto-Germanic *galaikaz (“jump, play”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyg-. Cognate with Old English ġelācan (“to play a trick on, delude”), Scots glaik (“a glance of the eye, deception, trick”, n.), Scots glaik (“to trick, trifle with”, v.). More at lake.
Noun
gleek (plural gleeks)
- A jest or scoff; trick or deception.
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :Where's the Baſtards braues, and Charles his glikes: What all amort?
- An enticing glance or look.
1623 (first performance), John Fletcher, William Rowley, “The Maid in the Mill”, in Comedies and Tragedies , London: Humphrey Robinson, , and for Humphrey Moseley , published 1647, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii:A pretty gleek coming from Pallas' eye:
- (informal) A stream of saliva from a person's mouth.
Synonyms
Translations
Verb
gleek (third-person singular simple present gleeks, present participle gleeking, simple past and past participle gleeked)
- (obsolete, transitive) To ridicule, or mock; to make sport of.
1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :I have seen you gleeking and / galling at this gentleman twice or thrice.
- (obsolete, intransitive) To jest.
c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :[…] that ſome honeſt neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleeke vpon occaſion.
- (obsolete, intransitive) To pass time frivolously.
- (informal) To discharge a long, thin stream of liquid (including saliva) through the teeth or from under the tongue, sometimes by pressing the tongue against the salivary glands.
1999 October 18, Gem, “what can you wiggle?”, in alt.music.soulcoughing (Usenet):i just push the tip of my tongue against the roof of my mouth and saliva squirts out in a groovy little arc. i think you'd really have to see it to know what i am talking about. but you can gleek best right after chewing big red gum.
1999 November 15, THAT antix GUY, “the weird personal info”, in alt.rave (Usenet):My buddy can gleek (thats what he called it too) but he used highly pressured spit forced out between two teeth with his tounge to do it.
2002 July 21, Sean Wilkinson, “Can you gleek?”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet):I used to be able to gleek "by accident" every now and then, but I couldn't figure out how to do it deliberately.
- The man said he “gleeked” on the woman, but did not intentionally spit on her.
Synonyms
Translations
to jest, ridicule, or mock
to discharge a long thin stream of liquid through the teeth or from under the tongue
Related terms
See also
Etymology 3
Blend of glee + geek
Noun
gleek (plural gleeks)
- (slang) A geek who is involved in a glee club, choir, or singing.
Further reading
Anagrams
Low German
Verb
gleek
- first-person singular past of glieken