gley

G2L1E1Y4
/ɡleɪ/

noun

A type of hydric soil, sticky, greenish-blue-grey in colour and low in oxygen.

Similar
gleysolgleisol
OriginUkrainian ґлей ← Proto-Slavic *glьjь ← Proto-Indo-European *gl̥h₁y-ó-s →
Scrabble 8
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Meanings

gley1

noungley (plural gleys)

plural gleys · alternative glei

  1. soil scienceA type of hydric soil, sticky, greenish-blue-grey in colour and low in oxygen.

    Synonyms: gleysol, gleisol

verbgley (third-person singular simple present gleys, present participle gleying, simple past and past participle gleyed)

present singular third person gleys · participle present gleying · participle past gleyed · past gleyed · alternative glei

  1. soil scienceTo be converted into this kind of soil.

gley2

verbgley (third-person singular simple present gleys, present participle gleying, simple past and past participle gleyed)

present singular third person gleys · participle present gleying · participle past gleyed · past gleyed

  1. ScotlandTo squint; to look obliquely; to overlook things.

    “Muckle lang gleyed Sanny Fite,” shouted the stranger

    1800, Banffshire

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA type of hydric soil, sticky, greenish-blue-grey in colour and low in oxygen.

Similar
gleysolgleisol

Origin

gley · noun, verb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gleh₁y-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*gl̥h₁y-ó-s
  3. Proto-Slavic*glьjь
  4. Ukrainianґлей“clayey soil”
  5. Englishgley

1920s, from Ukrainian ґлей (glej, “clayey soil”), from Proto-Slavic *glьjь, from Proto-Indo-European *gl̥h₁y-ó-s, from Proto-Indo-European *gleh₁y-. Cognate of clay.

More words from Ukrainian, Proto-Slavic, Proto-Indo-European

Full word history & related roots →

gley · verb

  1. Scots-
  2. Scots-
  3. Englishgley

Borrowed from Scots.

More words from Scots

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech glej
  • glejtype of soil

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with gley

amaymedayrewaytodaykjlasayplayzpayawaydisplaystaybayoksurveyleDJraylingerie
All rhymes →

Anagrams

gyle
Cite this entry
APA

gley. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gley

MLA

“gley.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gley. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gley,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gley.

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