vitreous

English

Etymology

From Middle French vitreux, from Latin vitreus (“glassy, transparent”), from vitrum (“glass”).

The terms vitreous (positive) and resinous (negative) electricity were coined in 1733 by Charles François de Cisternay du Fay, who studied the different behaviour of glass and resin when rubbed with silk and fur, respectively.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɪ.tɹi.əs/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Adjective

vitreous (comparative more vitreous, superlative most vitreous)

1. Of or resembling glass; glassy.
   • 2021, Ruth Ozeki, The Book of Form and Emptiness, Canongate Books (2022), page 287:

     Pressing his fingertips against the rippled, vitreous surface, he had the odd sensation that were he to apply sufficient pressure the glass would give way like a permeable membrane, and he would be able to pass right through it, but when he pushed harder, the surface remained cold and unyielding.

2. Of or relating to the vitreous humor of the eye.
3. (of ceramics) Having a shiny nonporous surface.
4. (chemistry) Of a semi-crystalline substance where the atoms exhibit short-range order, but without the long-range order of a crystal.
5. (physics, dated) Positive (of electric charge).

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “electric charge”): resinous

Derived terms

• vitreous body
• vitreous enamel
• vitreous humour / vitreous humor
• vitreouslike
• vitreously

Related terms

• vitrify, vitrification, vitrifaction, vitrifacture

Translations

of or resembling glass

• Bulgarian: стъ́клен (stǎ́klen)
• Finnish: lasinen (fi) (of glass); lasimainen (fi) (resembling ~)
• French: vitreux (fr) m
• Georgian: მინის (minis), მინიანი (miniani), მინისებრი (minisebri)
• German: glasig (de), glasartig, gläsern (de), aus Glas
• Ido: vitratra (io)
• Irish: gloineach
• Latvian: stiklveida
• Swedish: vitrös (sv)
• Turkish: cam gibi (tr), cama benzer, camsı (tr)

of or relating to the vitreous humor

• Finnish: lasiais- (fi)

ceramics: having a shiny nonporous surface

• Finnish: lasitettu (fi)

chemistry: of a semi-crystalline substance

• Finnish: amorfinen (fi)

physics, dated: electrically positive

• Finnish: lasi- (fi)

Noun

vitreous (usually uncountable, plural vitreouses)

1. (by elision) The vitreous humor.

Anagrams

• oversuit, virtuose, voitures