# glass

Pronunciation: US say "GLAS" /ɡlæs/; say "GLAHS" UK /ɡlɑːs/, AUS /ɡlɐːs/

## Noun

1. A hard, usually transparent material made by melting silica sand with additives such as soda, potash, and lime.
   - Simple: A hard, clear material made by melting sand, used for windows and bottles.
   - _The vase was blown from molten glass by a local artisan._
   - _Sheets of glass arrived at the construction site for the new facade._
2. A vessel for drinking from, especially one made of glass, plastic, or similar see-through material.
   - Simple: A container that you drink from, usually made of clear, hard material.
   - _Pour the juice into a tall glass and add some ice._
   - _Each guest received a glass for the toast._
3. The quantity of liquid held in a drinking glass.
   - Simple: The amount of drink that fills a drinking glass.
   - _After the hike, he downed a glass of cold water in one go._
   - _She sipped a glass of wine slowly throughout dinner._
4. Articles made of glass, such as drinking vessels and tableware, considered collectively.
   - Simple: Cups, bowls, and other things made of glass, taken together.
   - _The museum's collection of Venetian glass drew visitors from around the world._
   - _They packed the antique glass carefully before the move._
5. A handheld lens for magnifying small objects, such as a magnifying glass or jeweler's loupe.
   - Simple: A small lens used to make things look bigger when you look through it.
   - _She peered through a glass to inspect the gemstone for flaws._
   - _The watchmaker reached for his glass to examine the tiny gears._
8. A mirror, or a polished surface that reflects an image.
   - Simple: A surface that reflects your image so you can see yourself.
   - _She studied her reflection in the glass above the mantel._
   - _He caught sight of his own tired face in the old glass that hung above the fireplace._
9. In science, any amorphous (non-crystalline) solid that softens gradually into a liquid-like state when heated, passing through a glass transition.
   - Simple: Any solid whose tiny parts are not in a neat, repeating pattern and that slowly softens when heated.
   - _Obsidian is a volcanic glass formed when lava cools too quickly to crystallize._
   - _Metallic glasses can be produced by cooling molten alloys at extreme rates._
10. Used before the name of an animal to mark a species whose body is transparent or translucent.
   - Simple: Used in the names of some animals to show that you can see through their bodies.
   - _Through the belly of a glass frog, the researchers could watch its heart pumping blood._
   - _Glass shrimp are popular with aquarium keepers because their clear bodies all but vanish against the plants._
11. Camera lenses considered collectively, as part of a photographer's equipment. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Camera lenses, thought of all together as a group.
   - _Professional photographers invest heavily in quality glass before upgrading their camera bodies._
   - _The wildlife shooter packed his longest glass for the safari._
12. A telescope or spyglass used to view distant objects.
   - Simple: A tube with lenses used to see faraway things, such as a telescope.
   - _From the crow's nest, the lookout swept the horizon with his glass._
   - _The astronomer turned his glass toward the rising planet._
14. In basketball, the backboard, especially the transparent board mounted behind the rim. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: In basketball, the clear board behind the hoop that a shot can bounce off.
   - _The forward used the glass to bank in a tough angled layup._
   - _He grabbed the rebound right off the glass and pushed the ball upcourt._
15. The transparent protective barrier that surrounds the playing surface of an ice hockey rink.
   - Simple: The see-through wall that goes around the edge of an ice hockey rink.
   - _A slap shot rang off the glass near the blue line._
   - _The defenseman checked his opponent hard into the glass._
20. An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure, used to forecast changes in the weather.
   - Simple: A tool that measures air pressure to help predict the weather.
   - _The captain watched the glass closely as the storm front approached._
   - _Farmers once consulted the glass each morning before heading to the fields._
6. In the plural, a frame holding two lenses in front of the eyes, worn to improve eyesight or to shield the eyes.
   - Simple: Two lenses in a frame that you wear over your eyes to see better or to keep your eyes safe.
   - _After the eye exam, the optometrist told him he would need glasses for driving at night._
   - _Everyone in the lab must wear protective glasses when handling acids._

## Verb

13. To fit with glass or enclose in glass, as a window, wall or display.
   - Simple: To put glass into a window or wall, or to cover something with glass.
   - _After the break-in, the jeweler glassed in every display counter along the front of the store._
   - _The architects decided to glass the entire south wall, filling the living room with afternoon light._
16. To scan or examine something at a distance through an optical instrument such as binoculars.
   - Simple: To look at something far away by using binoculars or a similar tool.
   - _The guide glassed the slope for bighorn sheep before the climb._
   - _Birders often glass the marsh from the observation tower._
18. To strike someone, especially in the face, with a drinking glass, intending to cause injury. *(colloquial, UK)*
   - Simple: To hit someone, usually in the face, with a drinking glass to hurt them.
   - _He glassed a rival supporter in the crowd after the final whistle._
   - _Drunken patrons sometimes glass one another over trivial arguments._
19. Clipping of fibreglass: to cover, reinforce or build something with fiberglass and resin. — Clipping of fibreglass (“to fit, cover, fill, or build, with fibreglass-reinforced resin composite (fiberglass)”).
   - Simple: Clipping of fibreglass: to cover or build something with fiberglass.
   - _He spent the weekend glassing the bottom of his old wooden canoe to stop the leaks._
   - _Most surfboard shapers glass their boards with fiberglass cloth and polyester resin._
21. To make or become smooth and shiny like glass.
   - Simple: To make something smooth and shiny like glass, or to become that way.
   - _Overnight the freezing rain glassed every branch and fence post, and by morning the whole yard glittered in the sun._
   - _The surfers waited on the beach for the evening wind to drop and the water to glass off._

## Noun

7. A window or pane of glass, particularly one fitted in a vehicle. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A window or pane, especially one in a car or other vehicle.
17. An hourglass; a sand-filled instrument used to measure the passage of time. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An hourglass: a device that measures time with sand flowing between two bulbs.

## Verb

22. To reflect or mirror something, showing its image on a smooth surface. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To show an image of something by reflecting it, like a mirror.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To bombard a region so intensely (typically with nuclear or fusion weapons) that the terrain melts into glass.
- (verb) To smooth or polish leather and similar materials by rubbing with a glass burnisher.

## Origin

From Middle English "glas," from Old English "glæs," going back through Proto-Germanic "*glasą." It is possibly related to a Proto-Germanic word meaning "to shine" (compare "glow") and ultimately to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to shine, shimmer, glow." It is cognate with Dutch "glas" and German "Glas," and related to Swedish "glas."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/glass (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).