glass
a hard, brittle, noncrystalline, more or less transparent substance produced by fusion, usually consisting of mutually dissolved silica and silicates that also contain soda and lime, as in the ordinary variety used for windows and bottles.
any artificial or natural noncrystalline and transparent hard substance, such as fused borax, obsidian, or the like.
something made of a noncrystalline and transparent hard substance, such as a windowpane.
a tumbler or other comparatively tall, handleless drinking container.
the quantity contained within a tumbler or other tall, handleless drinking container; a glassful: She poured two glasses of wine for herself and her guest.Drink a glass of orange juice and you'll feel better.
a tumbler or other tall, handleless drinking container with its contents: Hand me that glass of milk.
glas·ses, Also called eye·glas·ses [ahy-gla-siz]. /ˈaɪˌglæ sɪz/. a device to compensate for impaired vision or to protect the eyes from light, dust, and the like, consisting usually of two glass or plastic lenses set in a frame that includes a nosepiece for resting on the bridge of the nose and two sidepieces extending over or around the ears (usually used with pair of).: Compare goggle (def. 1a), pince-nez, spectacle (def. 3).
a mirror.
things made of glass, collectively; glassware: They used to collect old glass.
a lens, especially one used as a magnifying glass.
a spyglass.
made of glass: a glass tray.
furnished or fitted with panes of glass; glazed.
to fit with panes of glass.
cover with or encase in glass.
to coat or cover with fiberglass: to glass the hull of a boat.
to scan with a spyglass or other optical instrument.
to reflect: Trees glassed themselves in the lake.
Origin of glass
1Other words from glass
- glass·less, adjective
- glass·like, adjective
- non·glass, adjective
- un·glassed, adjective
Other definitions for Glass (2 of 2)
Carter, 1858–1946, U.S. statesman.
Philip, born 1937, U.S. composer.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use glass in a sentence
The Glassless will walk around with heads ducked down, desperate to avoid the mysterious, unknowable intentions of the Glassed.
Google Glass’s Insane, Terrifying Etiquette Guide | Tim Teeman | February 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere seemed to be more people about, judging by the traces of smoke that drifted out of holes or through glassless windows.
Victory | Lester del ReyHere and there a small escutcheon, peeping from a glassless window, marked the night's lodging of knight or baron.
The White Company | Arthur Conan DoyleClinging for dear life to what appeared to be a sort of glassless cucumber frame was our conductor.
Bolting his door, closing the high shutters of his glassless window, he lay down tired and feverish.
The Bright Shawl | Joseph Hergesheimer
The Princess adapted herself to the glassless windows, the broken ceilings, the absence of doors, and all the rest.
Louis XIV and La Grande Mademoiselle | Arvede Barine
British Dictionary definitions for glass (1 of 2)
/ (ɡlɑːs) /
a hard brittle transparent or translucent noncrystalline solid, consisting of metal silicates or similar compounds. It is made from a fused mixture of oxides, such as lime, silicon dioxide, etc, and is used for making windows, mirrors, bottles, etc
(as modifier): a glass bottle Related adjectives: vitreous, vitric
any compound that has solidified from a molten state into a noncrystalline form
something made of glass, esp a drinking vessel, a barometer, or a mirror
Also called: glassful the amount contained in a drinking glass
glassware collectively
See volcanic glass
See fibreglass
to cover with, enclose in, or fit with glass
informal to hit (someone) in the face with a glass or a bottle
Origin of glass
1Derived forms of glass
- glassless, adjective
- glasslike, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Glass (2 of 2)
/ (ɡlɑːs) /
Philip. born 1937, US composer noted for his minimalist style: his works include Music in Fifths (1970), Akhnaten (1984), The Voyage (1992), and Monsters of Grace (1998); his film music includes scores for Kundun (1998), The Truman Show (1999), and The Hours (2002)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for glass
[ glăs ]
A usually transparent or translucent material that has no crystalline structure yet behaves like a solid. Common glass is generally composed of a silicate (such as silicon oxide, or quartz) combined with an alkali and sometimes other substances. The glass used in windows and windshields, called soda glass, is made by melting a silicate with sodium carbonate (soda) and calcium oxide (lime). Other types of glass are made by adding other chemical compounds. Adding boron oxide causes some silicon atoms to be replaced by boron atoms, resulting in a tougher glass that remains solid at high temperatures, used for cooking utensils and scientific apparatuses. Glass used for decorative purposes often has iron in it to alter its optical properties.
a closer look
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with glass
In addition to the idioms beginning with glass
- glass ceiling
- glass is half full, the
also see:
- people who live in glass houses
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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