glair

/ɡlɛə(ɹ)/

//ɡlɛə(ɹ)// noun

"glair" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“glair” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Egg white, especially as used in various industrial preparations.

Corpus desk

Index EN-glair · glair · English

glair · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "G" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for glair
PropertyValue
Headwordglair
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡlɛə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “glair” in English

glairfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

glair is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɡlɛə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for glair in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English glaire, from Old French glaire, from Vulgar Latin *clāria, a substantive use of Latin clārus (“clear”). The correct English form is glair, spelled G-L-A-I-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Egg white, especially as used in various industrial preparations.
  2. 2
    Any viscous, slimy substance.
  3. 3
    A broadsword fixed on a pike; a kind of halberd.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how glair appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. If you beat an egg white until a froth forms on the surface, the clear liquid below the froth is glair.
  2. Some rain fell during the past few days but had little effect on the river which remains very low and full of glair.

Etymology

From Middle English glaire, from Old French glaire, from Vulgar Latin *clāria, a substantive use of Latin clārus (“clear”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "glair"?
"glair" is spelled G-L-A-I-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡlɛə(ɹ)/.
What does "glair" mean?
As a noun, "glair" means: Egg white, especially as used in various industrial preparations.
How do you pronounce "glair"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "glair" is /ɡlɛə(ɹ)/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "glair"?
From Middle English glaire, from Old French glaire, from Vulgar Latin *clāria, a substantive use of Latin clārus (“clear”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list