Glyph

Glyphs are spell and ability enhancements that add cosmetic effects or minor enhancements, created by scribes. Glyphs are color-coded to the class for which they are meant.

Glyphs can be removed any time outside of combat using Vanishing Powder and can be used from level 25.

Class books
With the removal of the old glyph system in Patch 7.0.3, a number of what were previously minor glyphs are now available as books and toys. They are all sold for each or found as drops.

Death knight

 * Necrophile Tome: Corpse Exploder - teaches Corpse Exploder

Druid

 * Nature's Beacon
 * Tome of the Wilds: Charm Woodland Creature
 * Tome of the Wilds: Flap
 * Tome of the Wilds: Mount Form
 * Tome of the Wilds: Track Beasts
 * Tome of the Wilds: Treant Form

Hunter

 * Fireworks Instruction Manual
 * Hunter's Call
 * Pet Training Manual: Fetch
 * Pet Training Manual: Play Dead
 * The Art of Concealment

Mage

 * Dalaran Initiates' Pin
 * Familiar Stone
 * Mystical Tome: Arcane Linguist
 * Mystical Tome: Illusion
 * Tome of Polymorph: Monkey
 * Tome of Polymorph: Polar Bear Cub
 * Tome of Polymorph: Porcupine

Monk

 * Meditation Manual: Zen Flight

Paladin

 * Divine Tome: Contemplation

Priest

 * Scarlet Confessional Book
 * Thaumaturgist's Orb

Rogue

 * Dirty Tricks, Vol 1: Detection

Shaman

 * Raging Elemental Stone
 * Tadpole Cloudseeder
 * Tome of Hex: Cockroach
 * Tome of Hex: Compy
 * Vol'jin's Serpent Totem
 * Waterspeaker's Totem

Old types
Glyphs mostly give convenient or cosmetic improvements, such as changing the visual effect of a spell, or give an additional effect. However, some have more substantial effects, improving or altering important abilities in a number of ways.

Examples:
 * Changes the graphics of a spell: Glyph of the Heavens, Glyph of Evaporation
 * Gives an additional effect to a spell: Glyph of Disguise, Glyph of Lingering Ancestors

Minor glyphs
Minor glyphs mostly give convenient or cosmetic improvements, such as changing the visual effect of a spell, or granting a new ability that is purely for entertainment purposes. However, some have more substantial effects, improving or altering important abilities in a number of ways.

Examples:
 * Changes the graphics of a spell: Glyph of Condensation, Glyph of Evaporation
 * Increases the effectiveness of a spell, but only in a minor way or with a trade-off: Glyph of Aquatic Form
 * Grants a new ability: Glyph of Corpse Explosion, Glyph of Fetch

Major glyphs
Major glyphs feature spell changes that may increase the damage, or another feature of the spell. Some of these glyphs have trade-offs, for example increasing direct damage but removing a DoT effect of the spell.

Major glyphs were removed in patch 7.0.3.

Prime glyphs
Prime glyphs were effective in combat, and generally increased the healing or damage of an ability. They were generally the most potent and important of the glyphs.

Examples:
 * Increased the healing done by an ability: Glyph of Earth Shield, Glyph of Renew.
 * Increased the damage done by an ability: Glyph of Steady Shot, Glyph of Arcane Barrage.
 * Added an additional effect to your ability: Glyph of Shadowburn, Glyph of Howling Blast.

Prime glyphs were removed in patch 5.0.4.

Applying glyphs
To apply a glyph, a player use the glyph, which automatically opens the spellbook. The ability or spell related to the glyph will light up, allowing the glyph to be applied. Once a glyph has been applied, it will show with a purple arrow in the upper right corner.

Class glyphs lists
Lists of the glyphs available to each class can be found on their own pages:

History
Initially, there would be additional glyphs known as "ancient glyphs", added with the Path of the Titans system. When Path of the Titans was canceled, the glyph system was changed to three tiers - Major, Medium and Minor. In patch 4.0.1 this was changed to Prime, Major and Minor. Patch 5.0.4 removed Prime glyphs, and added many new Major and Minor glyphs.