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to glass

to glass

1 8.1
To give a smooth shiny surface by adding a glossy coat
  • verb
  • /ɡlæs/
translation icon : barnizar
  • What I'll do is I'll glass over this with epoxy resin.

Examples

  • Ever seen a surfboard glassed at a party?

    Blog text (3)
  • In fact, they glassed four or five surfboards.

    Blog text (3)
  • That wall is very bland at the moment and it needs something on there to glass it up a little bit.

  • I sat there and watched Shaun's board get glassed, and I was truly blown away.

    Blog text (3)
  • We spent the night in a glassed room with ceiling mirrors, in beds infested with bed bugs.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • In the middle of the party, they glassed Shaun Tomson's new Channel Islands surfboard.

    Blog text (3)
  • Platinum-iridium pins are glassed into an alumina plate and ground flat on the top surface, providing connection pins for the electrode array on the rear.

    Academic text (1998)
  • He decided to glass over the tabletop to give it a sleek finish.

  • To prepare the surfboards for competition, they will glass them with a glossy resin.

  • The carpenter will glass the window frames to make sure they are durable and attractive.

Synonyms

to wax
vsto glass
62 3.8

Cover something with wax to protect and make it shine

typically applies a glossy coating aimed at smooth mirrorlike look
to buff
vsto glass
17 4.4

To polish something by rubbing until it is smooth or shiny

often involves adding a coating rather than only rubbing for shine
to surface
vsto glass
15 4.3

To cover something with a new outer layer

focuses on creating a smooth shiny result often via glossy coating
to enamel
vsto glass
3 6.5

To cover a surface with a hard shiny layer for protection or decoration

uses a general glossy coating to produce a smooth shiny layer
to gloss
vsto glass
1 4.0

To make a surface smooth and shiny by rubbing or polishing

uses a glossy coating to make a smooth mirrorlike finish
to luster
vsto glass
  • US
1 5.2

To make a surface shiny or glossy

often means applying a coating to create a smooth glossy result

Idioms

Hold up a drink with others to celebrate someone or something

glass half-empty
  • Informal
2 6.5

A person who often sees the negative side of things

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 9.1

Entering a strange, unreal world where usual rules are reversed

1 5.0

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

To blame others when you have the same faults

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

Phrasal Verbs

1 6.7

To enclose a balcony, porch, or patio with clear panels to make a closed room

Eyes or face become dull and show no expression

Compounds

122 1.0

A cup filled with water for drinking

21 4.4

Colored pieces joined to make pretty windows that show pictures

A small glass you hold to make things look larger

glass ceiling
  • Literature
14 4.0

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

13 3.4

Large flat sheets of clear glass used for windows and doors

13 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

looking glass
  • Archaic
10 8.7

A mirror often used to check your face and clothes

7 6.0

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

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

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

4 1.0

A small glass for drinking water

A container to drink from, usually for water or juice

3 1.0

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

glass-half-full
  • Informal
3 5.8

Seeing the good side of things

glass tube
  • Specialized
3 2.9

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

2 1.0

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

2 5.3

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

glass jaw
  • Informal
2 7.9

A weakness that makes someone easily knocked out in a fight

safety glass
  • Specialized
2 3.8

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

1 3.9

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

glass house
  • Informal
1 6.5

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

1 3.0

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

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

volcanic glass
  • Specialized
1 6.7

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

1 5.3

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

glass fiber
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A thin glass thread that carries light in cables and instruments

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

optical glass
  • Specialized
1 6.0

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

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

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

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

lead glass
  • Specialized
1 6.3

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

1 3.2

A small picture on screens used to open a search

1 5.4

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

1 3.7

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

glass chin
  • Jargon
1 8.8

A weak jaw that makes someone easy to knock out

1 4.9

A person who cuts or engraves glass as a job

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 5.5

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

1 3.8

It looks and feels like smooth clear glass

quartz glass
  • Specialized
1 6.8

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

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

1 9.9

A roast pheasant served under a glass cover in fine restaurants

pier glass
  • Archaic
1 8.9

A tall narrow mirror on the wall between two windows

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

sheet glass
  • Specialized
1 3.7

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

wire glass
  • Specialized
1 5.2

Glass with wire mesh inside that holds pieces if it breaks

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

cellular glass
  • Specialized
7.0

A light hard foam made from crushed glass that keeps heat in and resists water

9.9

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

cover glass
  • Specialized
4.8

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

cover glass
  • Specialized
3.4

A hard outer layer of glass that protects a device screen from scratches and drops

crown glass
  • Specialized
9.0

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

crown glass
  • Archaic
9.7

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

A glass thermometer with alcohol that rises when it gets warm and falls when it gets cold

expanded glass
  • Specialized
6.8

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

flint glass
  • Specialized
7.9

A heavy glass that bends light strongly used for lenses and prisms

A tall, narrow glass that holds champagne or sparkling wine

foam glass
  • Specialized
6.7

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

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

9.9

A large evergreen tree from India and Burma with leaves that are silvery underneath

A small coastal tropical tree with silvery undersides on its leaves

A glass tube with mercury that measures body temperature

A glass tube containing mercury that rises to show temperature

glass furnace
  • Specialized
5.6

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

glass bone disease
  • Specialized
5.2

A rare condition where bones are very weak and break easily

glass snake
  • Specialized
9.4

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

glass sponge
  • Specialized
8.8

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

A small glass part on baby bottles that babies drink from

glass wool
  • Specialized
5.4

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

A person who cuts or makes patterns in glass

ground glass
  • Specialized
8.0

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

How Shiny

to glass
1 8.1
to gloss
1 4.0
to buff
17 4.4
polish
81 2.7

Surface Forms

glass infinitive
glassed past
glassed past participle
glassing present participle
glasses third person singular

Etymology

To glass a surface (to make it shiny) is related to the idea of real glass and to the word glaze, and it means giving a smooth, bright finish like a glass surface.