A bright or shining light; also refers to the white of an egg.
From Old English 'glær', related to Old Norse 'glær' (brightness, clearness). The word originally meant anything clear or transparent, evolving to describe both brightness and egg white due to their transparent, shining qualities.
In medieval cooking texts, gleir was used as a binding agent in food because its transparent, sticky nature made it perfect for holding ingredients together—essentially medieval Elmer's glue!
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