From Middle French glic, from Old French glic (“a game of cards”), of Germanic origin from or related to Middle High German glücke, gelücke (“luck”) and Middle Dutch gelīc (“like, alike”). More at luck, like.
Meanings
(uncountable) A once-popular game of cards played by three people.
Lady Loadstone: Laugh, and keep company, at gleek or crimp. / Mistress Polish: Your ladyship says right, crimp sure will cure her. 1640, Ben Jonson, The Magnetick Lady, or, Hvmors Reconcil'd, act 2, scene 4:
(countable) Three of the same cards held in one hand; three of a kind.
sv triss (three of the same card in a hand) · tr üçlü (game of cards for three people) · fr brelan (three of the same card in a hand) · fi kolmoset (three of the same card in a hand) · ru брелан (game of cards for three people) · fr brelan (game of cards for three people) · sv tretal (three of the same card in a hand)
Related to Etymology 1. Of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse *gleikr, leikr (“sport, play, game”), from Proto-Germanic *galaikaz (“jump, play”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyg-. Cognate with Old English ġelācan (“to play a trick on, delude”), Scots glaik (“a glance of the eye, deception, trick”, n.), Scots glaik (“to trick, trifle with”, v.). More at lake.
Meanings
A jest or scoff; trick or deception.
Where's the Baſtards braues, and Charles his glikes: What all amort? 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
An enticing glance or look.
A pretty gleek coming from Pallas' eye: 1623 (first performance), John Fletcher, William Rowley, “The Maid in the Mill”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii:
(informal) A stream of saliva from a person's mouth.
es ganga (good fortune) · fr œillade (enticing glance or look) · fi jekku (jest or scoff) · fi säkä (good fortune) · it pacchia (good fortune) · fr coup de pot (good fortune) · fi silmäys (enticing glance or look) · es guiñada (enticing glance or look) · fi kuola (informal: stream of saliva) · es pichincha (good fortune) · fr bonne affaire (good fortune) · fr plaisanterie (jest or scoff) · es bicoca (good fortune) · ru уда́ча (good fortune) · fr aubaine (good fortune) · fi pila (jest or scoff) · it occhiata (enticing glance or look) · ru насме́шка (jest or scoff) · fr bonne fortune (good fortune)
Related to Etymology 1. Of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse *gleikr, leikr (“sport, play, game”), from Proto-Germanic *galaikaz (“jump, play”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyg-. Cognate with Old English ġelācan (“to play a trick on, delude”), Scots glaik (“a glance of the eye, deception, trick”, n.), Scots glaik (“to trick, trifle with”, v.). More at lake.
Meanings
(obsolete, transitive) To ridicule, or mock; to make sport of.
I have seen you gleeking and / galling at this gentleman twice or thrice. 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
(intransitive, obsolete) To jest.
[…] that ſome honeſt neighbours will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleeke vpon occaſion. c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
(intransitive, obsolete) To pass time frivolously.
(informal) To discharge a long, thin stream of liquid (including saliva) through the teeth or from under the tongue, sometimes by pressing the tongue against the salivary glands.
My buddy can gleek (thats what he called it too) but he used highly pressured spit forced out between two teeth with his tounge to do it. 1999 November 15, THAT antix GUY, “the weird personal info”, in alt.rave (Usenet):
I used to be able to gleek "by accident" every now and then, but I couldn't figure out how to do it deliberately. 2002 July 21, Sean Wilkinson, “Can you gleek?”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet):
i just push the tip of my tongue against the roof of my mouth and saliva squirts out in a groovy little arc. i think you'd really have to see it to know what i am talking about. but you can gleek best right after chewing big red gum. 1999 October 18, Gem, “what can you wiggle?”, in alt.music.soulcoughing (Usenet):
ru насмехаться (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · fi naruttaa (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · es burlarse (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · es huevear (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · es tomar el pelo (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · fr se foutre de (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · fi jekuttaa (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · fr dauber (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · it prendere in giro (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · fr se ficher de (to jest, ridicule, or mock) · fi kuolata (to discharge a long thin stream of liquid through the teeth or from under the tongue)