• IPA: /ˈɡluːtən/, /ˈɡluːtn̩/

gluten

1. (obsolete) Fibrin (formerly considered as one of the "animal humours"). [16th-19th c.]
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970 ↗:

     , Bk.I, New York, 2001, p.147:

     quote en

2. (rare) Any gluey, sticky substance. [from 17th c.]
   • 1665, Robert Hooke, Micrographia, XXXVII:

     [T]he Fly suspends it self very firmly and easily, without the access or need of any such Sponges fill'd with an imaginary gluten, as many have, for want of good Glasses, perhaps, or a troublesome and diligent examination, suppos'd.

   • 1990, Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae:

     quote en

3. (cooking, biochemistry) The major protein in cereal grains, especially wheat; responsible for the elasticity in dough and the structure in baked bread. [from 19th c.]
   • 2010, Felicity Cloake, Word of Mouth Blog ↗, The Guardian, 10 Jun 2010:

     quote en

4. (geology) A gluey, sticky mass of clay, bitumen etc. [from 19th c.]
   • 1988, James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Oxford 2004, p. 669:

     quote en

• French: gluten
• German: Gluten
• Italian: glutine
• Portuguese: glúten
• Russian: глюте́н
• Spanish: gluten