gleet

noun

ˈglēt How to pronounce gleet (audio)
: a chronic inflammation (such as gonorrhea) of a bodily orifice usually accompanied by an abnormal discharge
also : the discharge itself

Word History

Etymology

Middle English glet slimy or mucous matter, from Anglo-French glette, from Latin glittus viscous; akin to Latin gluten glue — more at clay

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gleet was in the 14th century

Rhymes for gleet

See All Rhymes for gleet

Browse Nearby Words

gleesome
gleet
gleg
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gleet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gleet. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

gleet

noun
ˈglēt How to pronounce gleet (audio)
: a chronic inflammation (as gonorrhea) of a bodily orifice usually accompanied by an abnormal discharge
also : the discharge itself
gleety
-ē How to pronounce gleet (audio)
adjective
gleetier; gleetiest

More from Merriam-Webster on gleet

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gleet

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

8 Real (and Perceived) Redundant Words

17 Words for Dog Breeds

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

8 Real (and Perceived) Redundant Words

17 Words for Dog Breeds
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All