to move smoothly and continuously along, as if without effort or resistance, as a flying bird, a boat, or a skater.
to pass by gradual or unobservable change (often followed by along, away, by, etc.).
to move quietly or stealthily or without being noticed (usually followed by in, out, along, etc.).
Aeronautics.
to move in the air, especially at an easy angle downward, with less engine power than for level flight, solely by the action of air currents and gravity, or by momentum already acquired.
to fly in a glider.
Music. to pass from one note to another without a break.
verb (used with object),glid·ed,glid·ing.
to cause to glide.
noun
a gliding movement, as in dancing.
a dance marked by such movements.
Music. slur (def. 10a).
Phonetics.
a speech sound having the characteristics of both a consonant and a vowel, especially w in wore and y in your, and, in some analyses, r in road and l in load; semivowel.
a transitional sound heard during the articulation linking two phonemically contiguous sounds, as the y-sound often heard between the i and e of quiet.
a calm stretch of shallow, smoothly flowing water, as in a river.
an act or instance of gliding.
Metallurgy. slip1 (def. 49).
a smooth metal plate, as on the bottom of the feet of a chair or table, to facilitate moving and to prevent scarring of floor surfaces.
a metal track in which a drawer, shelf, etc., moves in or out.
Origin of glide
First recorded before 900; Middle English gliden (verb), Old English glīdan; cognate with German gleiten
This dual-bevel sliding miter saw comes with a glide system that allows for wider, more precise crosscuts.
Make every project a breeze with the right miter saw|PopSci Commerce Team|August 26, 2020|Popular Science
Snakes instead get their glide on with some help from the wiggles.
Flying snakes wriggle their way through the air|Emily Conover|August 4, 2020|Science News For Students
With the South Carolina GOP primary behind him, Sen. Lindsey Graham appears to be on a glide path to re-election.
T-Rav: The Reality TV Star Running for Senate in South Carolina|Patricia Murphy|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He started to glide the window back up to get out of the car, and at once the officer began to beat his gun butt on the window.
The Cost: What Stop and Frisk Does to a Young Man’s Soul|Rilla Askew|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I describe the pink hued iridescent bubbles in the bathtub, and the way they glide away from my skin as if it's made of silk.
ASMR and the Rise of the Whisper Fetish|Aurora Snow|December 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
McAuliffe had been given a glide path to the nomination and had the active support of almost every Democratic elected official.
How the Richer, Better Run Campaign Barely Won in Virginia|Ben Jacobs|November 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Immigration reform is on a glide path out of the Senate, reports Michelle Cottle, but may yet crash in the House.
House Republicans Brace for Crazy-Making Intraparty Immigration Fight|Michelle Cottle|June 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The new battleship trembled in the ways, ready to glide into the sea.
A Book Without A Title|George Jean Nathan
He must land when the end of his glide brings him to the ground.
Opportunities in Aviation|Arthur Sweetser
Both are lulled by the familiar sound of the set phrase or word and glide easily over them.
International Language|Walter J. Clark
I have attained such skill that I doubt if my days ever at any time seemed to glide by so fast.
The Letters of William James, Vol. II|William James
A little of this is made to glide lightly over the gold, with a very soft brush.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines|Andrew Ure
British Dictionary definitions for glide
glide
/ (ɡlaɪd) /
verb
to move or cause to move easily without jerks or hesitationsto glide in a boat down the river
(intr)to pass slowly or without perceptible changeto glide into sleep
to cause (an aircraft) to come into land without engine power, or (of an aircraft) to land in this way
(intr)to fly a glider
(intr)musicto execute a portamento from one note to another
(intr)phoneticsto produce a glide
noun
a smooth easy movement
any of various dances featuring gliding steps
a step in such a dance
a manoeuvre in which an aircraft makes a gentle descent without engine powerSee also glide path
the act or process of gliding
music
a long portion of tubing slipped in and out of a trombone to increase its length for the production of lower harmonic seriesSee also valve (def. 5)
a portamento or slur
phonetics
a transitional sound as the speech organs pass from the articulatory position of one speech sound to that of the next, as the (w) sound in some pronunciations of the word doing
another word for semivowel
crystallog another name for slip 1 (def. 33)
cricket another word for glance 1 (def. 11)
Derived forms of glide
glidingly, adverb
Word Origin for glide
Old English glīdan; related to Old High German glītan