Etymology Map
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Glue

3 stages from Late Latin to English.

Today it means a sticky substance for joining things

Where does the word "glue" come from? It comes from Late Latin glus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
glus
Late Latin · ancient
"glue"
related to 'gluten'
2
Stage 2 of 3
glu
Old French · medieval
"birdlime, glue"
a sticky paste used to trap birds
3
Stage 3 of 3
glue
English · 1300s
"adhesive"
'glue sniffing' dates from the 1960s
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Read the full story

Glue’s story begins in Late Latin: glus meant “glue.” Related to 'gluten'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as glu. A sticky paste used to trap birds. It reached English by 1300s as glue. 'glue sniffing' dates from the 1960s. Today, glue means a sticky substance for joining things.