glede

G2L1E1D2E1
/ɡliːd/

noun

Any of several birds of prey, especially a kite, Milvus milvus.

OriginMiddle English glede ← Old English glida ← Proto-West Germanic *glidā →
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

glede1

nounglede (plural gledes)

plural gledes · alternative gled

  1. Any of several birds of prey, especially a kite, Milvus milvus.

glede2

nounglede (plural gledes)

plural gledes · alternative glead · alternative gleed · alternative gled

  1. A live coal; an ember.

    1937, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit [Chapter 14 - Fire and Water], His last throes splintered it to sparks and gledes.

    1 more example

    1955, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring [Book 2, Chapter 2 - The Council of Elrond], It was hot when I first took it, hot as a glede, and my hand was scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain of it.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
kite

Origin

glede · noun

  1. Proto-Germanic*glidǭ
  2. Proto-West Germanic*glidā
  3. Old Englishglida
  4. Middle Englishglede
  5. Englishglede

From Middle English glede, from Old English glida, from Proto-West Germanic *glidā, from Proto-Germanic *glidǭ; akin to Icelandic gleða, Swedish glada. Compare glide.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

glede · noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰelh₃-“to shine”
  2. Proto-Germanic*glōdiz“incandescence, glowing ember, burning ash”
  3. Proto-West Germanic*glōdi
  4. Old Englishglēd
  5. Middle Englishgleede
  6. Englishglede

From Middle English gleede, glede, from Old English glēd, glēde (“glowing coal, ember, fire, flame, instrument of torture”), from Proto-West Germanic *glōdi, from Proto-Germanic *glōdiz (“incandescence, glowing ember, burning ash”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“to shine”). Cognate with Scots gleed (“burning coal, ember”), Saterland Frisian Gloud (“blaze, fire”), Dutch gloed (“glowing heat”), German Glut (“glowing heat, embers”), Swedish glöd (“embers”), Scots glude (“glow from a fire”). More at glow.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian червена каня
  • червена каня (červena kanja)Milvus milvus

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with glede

readneedspeedleadfeedagreedindeedspreadexceedreedproceedsucceedweedReidbeaddeedcreedliedmeadgreedbleedtweedheedplead
All rhymes →

Anagrams

ledgedegeledgel
Cite this entry
APA

glede. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glede

MLA

“glede.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glede. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “glede,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glede.

Source: glede on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.