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sheet glass

sheet glass

1 3.7
Thin flat glass that is made in large sheets for windows and mirrors
  • noun
  • /ʃiːt ɡlæs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vidrio plano
  • In 1959, Britain's Alistair Pilkington invented the "float process" for making sheet glass.

Examples

  • He admired the clarity and smoothness of the sheet glass used in the modern art installation.

  • Nearly all sheet glass made today uses the float process.

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  • The architect chose large panes of sheet glass to create a bright and open atmosphere in the office.

  • At the factory, workers carefully cut the sheet glass to fit the new windows of the building.

Synonyms

plate glass
vssheet glass
13 3.4

Large flat sheets of clear glass used for windows and doors

is produced as thin flat panels often used also for mirrors
pane of glass
vssheet glass
5 1.6

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

is produced in large thin panels before shaping to fit frames
window glass
vssheet glass
3 1.0

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

is produced as large thin panels used also for mirrors

Surface Forms

sheet glass singular
sheet glasses plural

Morphology

sheet + glass

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'sheet' (a thin, flat layer) + 'glass' (the material), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to glass formed into sheets. This is a regular noun-noun compound pattern common cross-linguistically; while somewhat technical, it remains transparent for a B1 learner familiar with the constituents.

Etymology

Sheet glass The name sheet glass comes from the idea of a sheet, a large, thin, flat piece like cloth, made of glass. Early makers made wide flat sheets of glass that could be cut to fit 'windows' and 'mirrors', so the name now means glass made in thin, flat sheets.