I. glass 1 S1 W1 /ɡlɑːs $ ɡlæs/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ glass , glasses, ↑ glassful , ↑ glassware ; adjective : glass, ↑ glassy ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: glæs ]
1 . TRANSPARENT MATERIAL [uncountable] a transparent solid substance used for making windows, bottles etc:
a glass bowl
a piece of broken glass
pane/sheet of glass (=a flat piece of glass with straight edges)
the cathedral’s stained glass windows
2 .
FOR DRINKING [countable] a container used for drinking made of glass ⇨ cup
wine/brandy/champagne etc glass
Nigel raised his glass in a toast to his son.
3 . AMOUNT OF LIQUID [countable] the amount of a drink contained in a glass
glass of
She poured a glass of wine.
4 .
FOR EYES glasses [plural] two pieces of specially cut glass or plastic in a frame, which you wear in order to see more clearly SYN spectacles :
He was clean-shaven and wore glasses.
I need a new pair of glasses.
distance/reading glasses ⇨ ↑ dark glasses , ↑ field glasses
GRAMMAR
Glasses is plural, even when it refers to a single object. Do not say 'a glasses’:
▪
She’s got nice (NOT a nice) glasses.
5 . GLASS OBJECTS [uncountable] objects which are made of glass, especially ones used for drinking and eating:
a priceless collection of Venetian glass
6 . people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones used to say that you should not criticize someone for having a fault if you have the same fault yourself
7 . somebody sees the glass as half-empty/half-full used to say that a particular person is more likely to notice the good parts or the bad parts of a situation
8 . under glass plants that are grown under glass are protected from the cold by a glass cover
9 . MIRROR [countable] old-fashioned a mirror
10 . the glass old-fashioned a ↑ barometer
⇨ ↑ cut glass , ↑ ground glass , ↑ looking glass , ↑ magnifying glass , ↑ plate glass , ↑ safety glass , ↑ stained glass , ⇨ raise your glass at ↑ raise 1 (16)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + glass
▪ broken glass
She cleaned up the broken glass with a dustpan and brush.
▪ stained glass (=glass of different colours used in windows)
He designed the stained glass windows of Coventry Cathedral.
▪ tinted glass (=coloured rather than completely transparent)
The car had tinted glass.
▪ frosted glass (=glass with a rough surface so that it is not transparent)
The bathroom windows were made of frosted glass.
▪ clear glass (=that you can see through rather than being coloured)
The drink comes in clear glass bottles.
▪ plate glass (=big pieces of glass made in large thick sheets, used especially in shop windows)
Vandals smashed a plate glass window.
▪ safety glass (=strong glass that breaks into small pieces that are not sharp)
The company makes safety glass for car windows.
■ glass + NOUN
▪ a glass bottle/bowl/vase etc
Glass bottles can be recycled very easily.
▪ a glass window/door
The doors had two round glass windows in them.
■ phrases
▪ a piece of glass
He cut his foot on a piece of glass.
▪ a shard/splinter of glass (=a sharp piece of broken glass)
People were injured by shards of glass following the explosion.
▪ a fragment of glass (=a small piece of glass that has broken off)
Fragments of glass covered the floor near the broken window.
▪ a pane of glass (=a piece of glass used in a window)
There was a broken pane of glass in the kitchen window.
▪ a sheet of glass (=a piece of flat glass)
Sheets of glass were used as shelves.
■ verbs
▪ glass breaks
This type of glass doesn’t break easily.
▪ glass shatters (=break into small pieces)
When glass shatters, it leaves jagged edges.
▪ glass cracks
Glass will crack if too much pressure is put on it.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 4)
■ verbs
▪ wear glasses
I didn’t know you wore glasses.
▪ put on your glasses
He put on his glasses and read through the instructions.
▪ take off/remove your glasses
Elsie took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
▪ wipe/clean your glasses
Harry wiped his glasses with the corner of a handkerchief.
▪ break your glasses
I broke my glasses when I accidentally sat on them.
■ phrases
▪ a pair of glasses
She was wearing a new pair of glasses.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + glasses
▪ dark glasses (=sunglasses)
She wore a scarf over her head and dark glasses.
▪ reading glasses (=for reading)
She looked at him over the frames of her reading glasses.
▪ distance glasses (=for seeing things that are not close to you)
Without her distance glasses she couldn't see his expression.
▪ tinted glasses (=with coloured glass)
He always wore a pair of tinted glasses.
▪ steel-/horn-/gold-rimmed glasses (=with frames made of steel etc)
He was a thin little guy with gold-rimmed glasses.
▪ thick glasses (=with lenses that are thick)
She peered up at them through thick glasses.
II. glass 2 BrE AmE verb
glass something ↔ in phrasal verb British English
to cover something with glass, or to build a glass structure around something