I. ˈglas, -aa(ə)-, -ai-, -ȧ- noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English glas, from Old English glæs; akin to Old High German glas amber, Old English glær amber, Old Norse gler glass, Old English geolu yellow — more at yellow
1.
a. : an amorphous inorganic usually transparent or translucent substance consisting typically of a mixture of silicates or sometimes borates or phosphates formed by fusion of sand or some other form of silica or by fusion of oxides of boron or phosphorus with a flux (as soda, potash) and a stabilizer (as lime, alumina) and sometimes metallic oxides or other coloring agents so that a mass is produced that cools to a rigid condition without crystallization and that may be blown, cast, pressed, rolled, drawn, or cut into various forms — see crown glass , fiber glass , flint glass ; compare cullet , frit
b. : any of various inorganic or organic substances resembling glass especially in transparency, hardness, and amorphous nature
sodium phosphate glass
organic glasses made from plastics
— compare glaze II 2a
c. : a substance (as obsidian, pumice) produced by the quick cooling of an igneous magma
2.
a. : something made wholly or almost wholly of glass: as
(1) : a glass container ; especially : a glass drinking vessel (as a tumbler or a goblet)
(2) : a glass mirror : looking glass
(3) : a sheet of glass (as a windowpane, the plate-glass front of a display case, the glass covering of a picture)
(4) : a shaped hollow protective glass covering (as the bell-shaped covering set over some clocks or plants, the chimney of most oil lamps)
(5) : a slightly curved or flat piece of glass covering the dial of a watch or clock : crystal
(6) : optical glass
(7) : either piece of glass or other transparent material in a pair of glasses
(8) : an hourglass or half-hour glass
(9) : weatherglass
b.
(1) : an optical instrument (as a telescope or microscope) or device that has one or more lenses and that is designed to aid in the viewing of objects otherwise wholly or partly incapable of being seen by the average eye
the captain kept his glass fixed on the nearby shore
specifically : binoculars
stole the captain's glasses
(2) glasses plural : a device used to correct defects of vision (as nearsightedness) or to protect the eyes (as from glare, dust, flying sparks) and consisting typically of two pieces of glass designed to bend light rays or of two pieces of ordinary colored or plain glass or other transparent material that are supported by a bridge resting on the nose and by sidepieces extending over the ears
she put her glasses on the table
— often used with pair
bought a new pair of glasses
— called also eyeglasses, spectacles ; compare goggles, pince-nez
3.
a. : the quantity held by a glass container (as a drinking glass) : glassful
drank two glasses of water
b. : the time required for one end of an hourglass or half-hour glass to empty
the ship had been sighted two glasses earlier
4. : articles made of glass : glassware
a sparkling new set of dinner glass
: glass products
famous for the manufacture of beautiful glass
5. obsolete : gloss
6. obsolete : the organ of sight : eye
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to fit, set, or equip (as a window frame) with glass
only three windows had been glassed
peered in through the glassed upper half of the fruitshop door — I.S.Cobb
(2) : to fit or equip with eyeglasses
had been glassed at an early age
b. : to cover or protect with glass
glassed the picture before framing it
: enclose, case, or wall with glass
sunlight streamed into the porch which had been glassed in
c. : to pack and seal hermetically in glass containers for preservation or transportation
glassed fruits
glassed coffee
— compare can III 1a
2.
a. : to cause to have a glassy surface or appearance : make glassy
boredom glassed his eyes
b. : to smooth or polish (leather) with a glass burnisher
glassing the hides
3.
a. : to cause to be mirrored : reflect
a solitary tree that was glassed by the pool's still surface
b. : to see mirrored : see the reflection of
considered her shining nails, as if glassing her indolent beauty in them — Edith Wharton
4. : to scan (as a terrain) with an optical instrument (as a pair of binoculars) especially in an effort to discover game
went out that afternoon and glassed the country from the hills — Ernest Hemingway
he may not notice you at a distance; you can glass him, watch him, study him — Paul Schubert
intransitive verb
: to become glassy
the river is glassing in a breathless calm — A.N.Whitehead
III. adjective
1.
a.
(1) : made wholly or nearly wholly of glass
a glass bottle
(2) : having walls or sides and often top or bottom made wholly or nearly wholly of glass panes, panels, or blocks
a glass porch
a glass recording studio
b. : resembling or suggestive of glass : glassy
the glass surface of the water
2. : set or fitted with glass
the plants were kept under a glass frame