can anyone elaborate on what a 'gliding joint' is in the human body and give me and example.?

Answer 1

A gliding joint is one which is also known as a plane joint. This type of joint is fairly immobile and used for stability.
The shape of these joints tends to be fairly flat. One of the two bones tends to have a slightly convex shape, whilst the other a concave shape.

Examples are between most of the carpal bones in the hand, which separate your wrist from your metacarpals which are the long bones in your palm. These joints need to be firm and secure so that you can hold things tightly and so your hand doesn't flop around like a bag of banana skins.

Other examples are the tarsal bones in the foot.

Answer 2

Gliding joint is a joint between the bones when bone slightly glide over each other while making movement in that particular part of the body. For example; the joints between the bones of carpels in the wrist and between tarsals in the ankle.

Answer 3

the joints between the articular processes of the vertebrae,
the carpal joints (except that of the capitate with the navicular and lunate)
the tarsal joints (except that between the talus and the navicular)

The rest of your question @:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliding_joint