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glass wool

glass wool

5.4
A soft mass of very thin glass threads used to keep buildings warm and quiet
  • noun
  • /ɡlæs wʊl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lana de vidrio
  • For better soundproofing, the studio was lined with glass wool panels.

Examples

  • Glass wool or mineral wool would be best in a humid environment.

    Blog text (12)
  • Finally, when each section of the mosaic was placed down on its permanent backing of synthetic concrete, the gauze was removed, glue residues washed away, and each part joined to the whole with a special and extraordinarily strong synthetic compound made of plastic and glass wool normally used to make airplane fuselages.

    Academic text (2006)
  • "She created glass wool, puffy and alive, but she had no machine with the strength necessary to compress it into something useful.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • It was made from glass wool, made from fibreglass glass wool.

  • The charcoal was immobilized in the tube by acid-washed silanized glass wool.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The builder used glass wool to insulate the walls of the new house.

  • To keep the laboratory at a stable temperature, we installed glass wool in the ceiling.

Synonyms

fiberglass
vsglass wool
  • US
32 4.7

A strong, light material made from thin glass threads and hard glue used for boats and buildings

is spun into loose or batt fibrous insulation without resin binder
mineral wool
vsglass wool
  • Specialized
5.1

A light material of thin rock or glass fibers that stops heat moving and reduces sound

is spun from molten silicate into fine fibrous insulating material
rock wool
vsglass wool
  • Specialized
4.9

A light, fluffy material made from melted rock used to keep buildings warm and safe from fire

is spun from molten silicate into fine fibrous insulating material

Surface Forms

glass wool singular
glass wools plural

Morphology

glass + wool

The noun is compositionally built from 'glass' + 'wool' and denotes a wool-like material made from glass fibres (i.e. glass that resembles wool and is used for insulation), so the meaning is directly inferable from the parts. This follows a common English compound-noun pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand it.

Etymology

Glass wool comes from the simple image of glass spun into very thin fibers that look like wool. This fluffy glass 'wool' traps air and so works as 'insulation', which is why the name means the fibrous insulating material.