Meanings
comparative more vitreous · superlative most vitreous
- Of or resembling glass; glassy.
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.
2021, Ruth Ozeki, The Book of Form and Emptiness, Canongate Books (2022), page 287 - anatomyOf or relating to the vitreous humor of the eye.
- chemistryOf a semi-crystalline substance where the atoms exhibit short-range order, but without the long-range order of a crystal.
- chemistryWith a glass-like texture, often referring to volcanic rocks that cooled too quickly for crystals to form.
plural vitreouses
- uncountableusuallyThe vitreous humor.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivePositive (of electric charge).
More synonyms by meaning
adjective(of ceramics) having the surface made shiny and nonporous by fusing a vitreous solution to it
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinvitreus“glassy, transparent”
- Middle Frenchvitreux
- Englishvitreous
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.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian стъ́клен
- стъ́клен (stắklen)of or resembling glass
Catalan vitri
- vitriof or resembling glass
Czech skelný, sklovitý
- skelnýof or resembling glass
- sklovitýof or resembling glass
- skleněnýof or resembling glass
Finnish lasinen, lasimainen
- lasinenof or resembling glass
- lasimainenof or resembling glass
- lasiais-of or relating to the vitreous humor
- lasitettuceramics: having a shiny nonporous surface
- amorfinenchemistry: of a semi-crystalline substance
- lasi-physics, dated: electrically positive
French vitreux
- vitreuxof or resembling glass
German glasig, glasartig
- glasigof or resembling glass
- glasartigof or resembling glass
- gläsernof or resembling glass
- aus Glasof or resembling glass
Hungarian üveges
- üvegesof or resembling glass
Indonesian vitreus, vitreus
- vitreusof or resembling glass
- vitreusof or relating to the vitreous humor
Irish gloineach
- gloineachof or resembling glass
Latvian stiklveida
- stiklveidaof or resembling glass
Polish szklany, szklisty
- szklanyof or resembling glass
- szklistyof or relating to the vitreous humor
- szklistyceramics: having a shiny nonporous surface
- szklistychemistry: of a semi-crystalline substance
- szklistyphysics, dated: electrically positive
Swedish vitrös
- vitrösof or resembling glass
Turkish cam gibi, cama benzer
- cam gibiof or resembling glass
- cama benzerof or resembling glass
- camsıof or resembling glass
- camımsıof or resembling glass
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
vitreous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vitreous
“vitreous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vitreous. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vitreous,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vitreous.
Source: vitreous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.