Chrome extension · Free to start
Select any text.
Know what it means.
Highlight a word, a phrase or a whole paragraph. Glossa reads the page around it and tells you what it means here, in plain language, right beside what you’re reading.
No account · Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc · Your own AI key optional
Markets · 4 min read
Why markets barely moved on rate day
With a quarter-point cut already priced in, traders shrugged at the announcement and bond yields held steady into the close.
Explain ⌥Epriced in
PhraseTraders already expected the rate cut, so it was reflected in prices before it was announced.
How it works
Three moves. No new tab.
Glossa lives in Chrome’s side panel, so the page you’re reading never moves.
Highlight anything
One word, an acronym, a line of code, a legal clause, a whole paragraph.
Press one key
Or click the small Explain button that appears, or right-click the selection.
Read it in context
Then go simpler, deeper, get examples, translate, or ask your own question.
Try it right here
Select any word below.
After the merger, the board adopted a poison pill to deter a hostile bid, and the stock rallied on hopes of a white knight.
Our API retries are idempotent, so a flaky network can’t double-charge anyone.
She felt a quiet Schadenfreude watching the rival’s launch stall.
Context is the whole point
Same word. Different page. Different meaning.
Dictionaries list every sense. Glossa reads the sentence you’re in and gives you the one that fits.
The rower pulled the boat onto the bank and watched the river rise.
Glossa saysThe sloping land along the edge of a river.
The bank raised its fees after the merger closed.
Glossa saysA financial company that holds money and makes loans.
Features
Built for people who read a lot.
Students, engineers, lawyers, researchers, and anyone reading in a second language.
Meaning in context
Reads the sentence and nearby paragraph so you get the sense that fits the page.
Any language in, 20 out
Select text in any language and read the explanation in English, Hindi, Spanish, Japanese and 16 more.
Follow-ups on tap
Simpler, deeper, more examples, a translation, or your own question about the selection.
Say it right
Pronunciation and part of speech for single words, plus a button to hear the answer.
History and saved words
Search everything you’ve looked up and bookmark the words worth keeping.
Export anytime
Download lookups as Markdown for notes or JSON for flashcards and spreadsheets.
Bring your own key
OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, Gemini, OpenRouter, or any OpenAI-compatible server. Unlimited.
Works where text lives
Articles, docs, embedded frames, and even text you’ve typed into a box.
Keyboard first
One shortcut to explain, one to open the panel. Remap them in Chrome anytime.
Privacy
Only what you select leaves the page.
No account, no tracking, no full-page scraping.
- Nothing is sent until you ask for an explanation.
- Only your selection and a little nearby text are sent, and you can switch the nearby text off.
- History, saved words and settings stay in your browser.
- Your own API key is sent only to the provider you chose.
- Pause Glossa everywhere, or hide the button on any site.
Pricing
Free to start. Unlimited with your key.
Free
Most peopleA daily allowance of explanations, on us.
- Every feature: follow-ups, history, export, 20 languages
- No account, no card
- Allowance resets every day
Your own key
Unlimited lookups, billed by your AI provider.
- OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, Gemini, OpenRouter or custom
- Pick the exact model you want
- Key stays in your browser
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What exactly gets sent when I ask for an explanation?
The text you selected, the sentence it sits in, up to about 1,800 characters of nearby text, the page title and the site’s domain. Never the whole page, your history, or anything you didn’t select. You can switch the nearby text off in Settings.
Which AI model does the free plan use?
One we choose and tune for fast, accurate definitions, and we upgrade it as better ones appear. Want a specific model? Add your own key and pick it.
How do I use my own API key?
In the extension: open the side panel, then Settings, then “My own API key”. Pick a provider, paste the key, press Save and test. You can also try your key in the playground above before installing.
The shortcut doesn’t work. What now?
Chrome gives each shortcut to only one extension. If another one already uses Alt+E, open chrome://extensions/shortcuts and pick a new key for Glossa. The Explain button and right-click menu work either way.
Does it work on PDFs and Google Docs?
It works wherever the text is real, selectable text. Chrome’s built-in PDF viewer and pages like the Web Store block all extensions; there, type the word into the side panel instead.
Is my API key safe?
It’s stored in your browser only and sent directly to the provider you picked. It never passes through Glossa’s servers.