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gloves

Apparel
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Hand coverings with separate sheaths for each finger, made of leather, wool, or cloth, appearing in poetry as markers of formality, status, and the intimate touch of a beloved.

Detailed Definition
Gloves are among the most frequently mentioned accessories in love poetry, from the Renaissance to the present, often used as tokens of affection—a lady's glove dropped or given to her lover. In courtly poetry, a glove might be worn on a sleeve or tucked into a belt, and its removal signals a lowering of social barriers. In work poetry, gloves protect the hands of laborers, and their rough, stained appearance tells a story of toil. In formal poetry, white gloves are the emblem of the gentleman and the lady, their pristine condition reflecting social virtue. The act of removing a glove to shake a hand is a gesture of trust. In elegies, a pair of gloves left in a drawer is a poignant relic of the deceased. Their close contact with the skin also makes them sensual objects.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Her gloves lay on the table like a second, empty self"; "He kissed her glove, the silk cool against his lips"; "The white gloves of the ballroom were spotless, impossible, a lie"; "She pulled off her gloves finger by finger, a slow undressing of propriety"; "His gloves, stained with ink, were the badge of his trade"; "The gloves were too large for her, but she wore them anyway, as if he were still there"
Additional Notes
Gloves are among the most frequently mentioned accessories in love poetry, from the Renaissance to the present, often used as tokens of affection—a lady's glove dropped or given to her lover. In courtly poetry, a glove might be worn on a sleeve or tucked into a belt, and its removal signals a lowering of social barriers. In work poetry, gloves protect the hands of laborers, and their rough, stained appearance tells a story of toil. In formal poetry, white gloves are the emblem of the gentleman and the lady, their pristine condition reflecting social virtue. The act of removing a glove to shake a hand is a gesture of trust. In elegies, a pair of gloves left in a drawer is a poignant relic of the deceased. Their close contact with the skin also makes them sensual objects. Related terms include mitts, gauntlets, and mittens. Students should note the glove's role as a token of intimacy and its ability to signal both social formality and personal vulnerability.
Also Known As
gauntlets of silk hand sheaths finger coverings
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