gloss

A "gloss" is an explanatory note, often a brief definition or interpretation of a difficult word or expression within a text. It can also refer to a continuous commentary or a false, misleading interpretation. In the Middle Ages, "legal glossators" were scholars who applied these annotation methods to interpret Roman legal texts, beginning with the revival of Roman law studies in Bologna around the late 11th century. Their work, such as Franciscus Accursius's Glossa ordinaria, became highly authoritative and laid the groundwork for the study of Roman law across Europe. The term "gloss" can also be used as a verb, meaning to deal with a subject too lightly or to give a deceptively attractive appearance to something.123