# glove

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɡlʌv/ · frequency rank #10,703

## Definitions
1. An item of clothing, covering all or part of the hand and fingers, but usually allowing independent movement of the fingers.
2. A baseball mitt.
3. The ability to catch a hit ball.
4. A condom.
5. A challenge from one to another.

## Etymology
From Middle English glove, glofe, from Old English glōf, *glōfe, *glōfa, ("glove"; weak forms attested only in plural form glōfan (“gloves”)), from Proto-Germanic *galōfô (“glove”), from Proto-Germanic *ga- (“collective and associative prefix”) + Proto-Germanic *lōfô (“flat of the hand, palm”), from Proto-Indo-European *lāp-, *lēp-, *lep- (“flat”). Cognate with Scots gluve, gluive (“glove”), Icelandic glófi (“glove”). Related to Middle English lofe, lufe (“palm of the hand”). More at loof.

## Easily confused with
- **gone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-gone)
- **glow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-glow)
- **glue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-glue)
- **gore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-gore)
- **gove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-gove)
- **grave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-grave)
- **grove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-grove)
- **goose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-goose)
- **gnome** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-gnome)
- **goode** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-goode)
- **glows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-glows)
- **grope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-grope)
- **gloves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-gloves)
- **groove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-groove)
- **groves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-groves)
- **glover** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-glover)
- **Grover** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-grover)
- **glowed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-glowed)
- **gloved** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glove-vs-gloved)
- **GLO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glo-vs-glove)

## Common misspellings (7)
`gglove`, `gllove`, `gloev`, `glovve`, `glvoe`, `golve`, `lgove`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/glove