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glass

glass

29 7.8
A small telescope used to look at distant things, often at sea
  • noun
  • /ɡlæs/
  • Archaic
: catalejo
  • When stargazing, she always brings her glass to see the stars more clearly.

Examples

  • He adjusted the focus of his glass to observe the planets more precisely.

  • I need a magnifying glass to see it, but okay.

  • Chen thinks for a moment, then looks through the glass at Wallace working away.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • I pick up a magnifying glass and place it over the opal.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Cannon would examine each spectrum through a magnifying glass, calling out her judgment to an assistant.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Children looking into a magnifying glass, imagining the image you see is the image of your true size.

  • The sailor used his glass to get a closer view of the distant ship on the horizon.

Synonyms

telescope
vsglass
240 3.3

A tool with lenses or mirrors that makes far things look closer

is a small refracting instrument used specifically for sea or sky viewing
scope
vsglass
84 6.6

An optical device like a telescope or rifle sight that makes distant things look closer

is a small refracting instrument mainly for sea and star observation
spyglass
vsglass
5 7.6

A small tube with a lens that people use to see faraway things at sea

is a small refracting instrument often used for observation at sea or stargazing
refractor
vsglass
  • Specialized
2 7.0

A telescope that uses lenses to bend light to make an image

is the small, handheld refracting instrument used for practical observing
field glass
vsglass
1 5.3

A small pair of binoculars you use to look at distant things outdoors

is a small refracting instrument used for sea and sky observation
refracting telescope
vsglass
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A telescope that uses a large lens to bend light to make images you view through an eyepiece

is the small refracting instrument often used for sea or stargazing
Galilean telescope
vsglass
  • Archaic
1 8.8

An early telescope invented by Galileo that uses two lenses to make upright images

is the common small refracting instrument, not limited to old designs

Idioms

Hold up a drink with others to celebrate someone or something

glass half-empty
  • Informal
7 6.5

A person who often sees the negative side of things

6 9.1

Entering a strange, unreal world where usual rules are reversed

5 5.0

In a glass case so people can see but not touch it

To overcome barriers that stop women or minority groups getting higher jobs

To focus on the good parts of a situation instead of the bad

1 9.6

Act carefully to avoid causing trouble in a tense, painful situation

To blame others when you have the same faults

Compounds

113 1.0

A cup filled with water for drinking

28 4.4

Colored pieces joined to make pretty windows that show pictures

A small glass you hold to make things look larger

16 3.4

Large flat sheets of clear glass used for windows and doors

glass ceiling
  • Literature
15 4.0

An invisible barrier that stops women and minorities from reaching top jobs

14 2.9

A thing made from glass that breaks easily and lets light through

looking glass
  • Archaic
13 8.7

A mirror often used to check your face and clothes

12 1.8

A small glass that holds one small drink of strong alcohol like whiskey or tequila

A window made of small colored glass pieces that makes colored light, often in churches

9 6.0

A small glass object that people wear to replace a lost eye

glass-half-full
  • Informal
9 5.8

Seeing the good side of things

A flat sheet of glass that fits in a window or door

6 1.0

A small glass for drinking water

5 1.0

A flat piece of clear glass that sits in a window or door to let light in

A container to drink from, usually for water or juice

safety glass
  • Specialized
5 3.8

Glass with a plastic layer between sheets that stops it breaking into sharp pieces

glass tube
  • Specialized
4 2.9

A thin round container made of glass used in a lab to hold liquids

glass jaw
  • Informal
3 7.9

A weakness that makes someone easily knocked out in a fight

2 3.9

A curved cover of glass that protects things and lets light in

2 1.0

A glass used for drinking beer, often larger than a regular glass

water glass
  • Specialized
2 8.7

A clear thick liquid used as cement and for preserving eggs

glass fiber
  • Specialized
2 4.1

A thin glass thread that carries light in cables and instruments

1 5.3

A type of glass shaped with many flat, shiny sides for decoration

1 3.7

A small tool with a sharp wheel used to score and cut glass sheets

ground glass
  • Specialized
1 7.1

Glass with a rough surface that makes light softer and less bright

1 3.0

A glass with a short stem and wide bowl for serving brandy

1 5.3

A small pair of binoculars you use to look at distant things outdoors

volcanic glass
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A hard shiny rock made when hot lava cools and hardens very fast

1 3.8

It looks and feels like smooth clear glass

A fine, beautiful glass object made in Venice, often brightly coloured and carefully shaped

A tall, straight glass used for serving mixed drinks with ice like a gin and tonic

glass house
  • Informal
1 6.5

A situation where someone is open to criticism for their own faults

An art object made by shaping glass into a form you can see and touch

lead glass
  • Specialized
1 6.3

Glass made with small amounts of the metal lead that is very clear and sparkly

A sheet made of two glass layers with plastic between them to stop breaking into pieces

A sheet of glass made with layers of plastic so it does not break into sharp pieces

optical glass
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A clear, strong glass that lens makers use for camera and telescope lenses

ground glass
  • Specialized
1 8.0

Very small pieces of glass used like sand to clean or smooth things

glass chin
  • Jargon
1 8.8

A weak jaw that makes someone easy to knock out

1 5.4

A milky white, slightly see-through material used for bowls and vases

1 9.9

A roast pheasant served under a glass cover in fine restaurants

Glass that shows soft mixed colors and people use for stained-glass windows and lamps

1 5.5

A glass of red wine called claret often served with a meal

A tall, narrow glass with a short stem for layered cold desserts like ice cream and fruit

wire glass
  • Specialized
1 5.2

Glass with wire mesh inside that holds pieces if it breaks

sheet glass
  • Specialized
1 3.7

Thin flat glass that is made in large sheets for windows and mirrors

quartz glass
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A clear, hard material made mostly from pure sand that resists high heat and chemicals

glass snake
  • Specialized
1 9.4

A legless lizard with a long tail that breaks off and regrows to escape predators

pier glass
  • Archaic
1 8.9

A tall narrow mirror on the wall between two windows

glass lizard
  • Specialized
1 9.2

A legless lizard that looks like a snake, has eyelids and ear openings, and can grow its tail again

1 4.9

A person who cuts or engraves glass as a job

natural glass
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A shiny rock that forms when lava cools very fast

1 3.6

A tall, narrow glass that holds champagne or sparkling wine

glass furnace
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A large hot oven that melts glass for making bottles and windows

A small glass for drinking a little sweet drink with alcohol after dinner

1 9.9

A tall full-length mirror in a frame that can tilt

glass wool
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A soft mass of very thin glass threads used to keep buildings warm and quiet

A small drinking cup that holds half a pint

1 5.8

A person who cuts or makes patterns in glass

1 5.3

A clear protective cover over the face of a watch

soft glass
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A type of glass that melts at a lower temperature and is easy to shape

jeweler's glass
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A small lens that makes gemstones look larger so someone can see small details

1 6.4

A milky white glass that lets light through and is used for lamps and vases

cover glass
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A thin flat piece of glass placed over a specimen on a microscope slide

1 7.7

A bell-shaped glass cover used to protect or display objects and to hold gases

soft glass
  • Specialized
1 7.6

A thick material of tiny particles that behaves like a solid and flows very slowly

glass sponge
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A sea animal with a skeleton of thin glass-like threads that lives on the ocean floor

object glass
  • Specialized
1 7.9

The lens in a microscope or telescope nearest the thing you look at

crown glass
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A type of glass lens makers use that bends light little and keeps colours from separating

watch glass
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A shallow round glass dish used in labs to let liquids dry or to cover a beaker

crown glass
  • Archaic
1 9.7

Old window glass you get by blowing hot glass into a round disk and spinning it flat

foam glass
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A light hard material made from melted sand with many small air pockets used for insulation and building

expanded glass
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A light, hard, insulating material used in buildings to keep heat in

How Powerful

astronomical telescope
  • Specialized
1 5.7
telescope
240 3.3
glass
  • Archaic
29 7.8
spyglass
5 7.6
monocular
1 7.3

Surface Forms

glass singular
glasses plural

Etymology

Glass for a small telescope comes from the glass lenses inside it, like in a spyglass, so the name moved from the material to the tool we use to see far away.