a list of terms in a special subject, field, or area of usage, with accompanying definitions.
2.
such a list at the back of a book, explaining or defining difficult or unusual words and expressions used in the text.
Origin: 1350–1400; ME glossarye < L glōssarium difficult word requiring explanation < Gk glōssárion, dim. of glôssa tongue, language; later taken as a collection of such words, by construing suffix as L -ārium-ary; cf. gloss2
glos·sa·ry (glô'sə-rē, glŏs'ə-) n.
pl.glos·sa·ries A list of often difficult or specialized words with their definitions, often placed at the back of a book.
[Middle English glosarie, from Latin glōssārium, from glōssa, foreign word; see gloss2.] glos·sar'i·al (glô-sâr'ē-əl, glŏ-) adj., glos'sa·rist n.