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Glite Dictionary
fiberglass

fiberglass

32 4.7
A strong, light material made from thin glass threads and hard glue used for boats and buildings
  • noun
  • /ˈfaɪbərˌɡlæs/
  • US
translation icon : fibra de vidrio
  • Johns Manville uses a minimum of 20 percent recycled glass in manufacturing its fiberglass insulation.
  • fiberglass-reinforced
  • fiberglass composite
  • fiberglass insulation

Arching our backs, our hips pressed into hard fiberglass, we dig the water with our hands.

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Examples

  • Over 1,000 standard fiberglass tank models with a wide range of chemical resistancy are available.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The contractor recommended using fiberglass for the roofing due to its durability.

  • Then a strong piece of fiberglass was inserted into the tank.

  • It was made of fiberglass.

    Gog (1954)

  • We pushed aside a thin fiberglass door and entered a storage area behind the vat room.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The body panels are cast with fiberglass and resins and then painted.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Monster trucks gain their identity by being dressed in customized fiberglass body panels.

    Academic text (2013)

  • The unfinished bathroom: exposed studs and pink fiberglass insulation that made you scratch.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Aino reached over the fiberglass gunwale and cleaned her hands in the racing seawater.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The walls of the greenhouse were reinforced with fiberglass to provide better insulation.

Synonyms

grp
vsfiberglass
  • UK
8.3

A strong light material made of plastic with glass fibers used for boats and car parts

uses resin as the specific embedding material rather than general plastic
glassteel
vsfiberglass
  • Specialized
8.6

A strong, light material of glass threads and plastic used for boats, cars, and building parts

uses resin specifically rather than a generic plastic binder

How Insulating

foam
74 2.6
mineral wool
  • Specialized
5.1
fiberglass
  • US
32 4.7
batting
  • Specialized
5 4.2

Surface Forms

fiberglass singular
fiberglasses plural
fibreglasses plural
fibreglass singular

Morphology

fiberglass = fiber + glass (transparent) = fiber + glass

Meaning is directly derived from the combination of 'fiber' and 'glass': a material consisting of glass fibers.

Etymology

Fiberglass is a simple combination of fiber (a 'thin thread' like the threads in cloth) and glass, so it literally means 'glass made into threads'. That image helps: glass pulled into tiny threads and mixed with a hard plastic makes a very strong but light material used for boats, surfboards, and insulation.