vitreous

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈvɪtriəs/ UK /ˈvɪtriəs/ See IPA manual

Freq #66540

Meanings

1

adj
made of, resembling, or having the qualities of glass

The lava cooled into a dark vitreous rock with a glassy surface.
2

adj
relating to the transparent gel that fills the eyeball behind the lens

The injury caused blood to enter the vitreous chamber of the eye.
3

adj
made hard, smooth, and nonporous by firing or fusion

The kiln produced a dense vitreous ceramic that absorbed very little water.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · made of, resembling, or... glassy glasslike

2 adj · relating to the transparent... vitreal

3 adj · made hard, smooth, and... vitrified

Opposites

opaque porous

Word family

Derived forms vitreouslyvitreousness

Related forms vitreous humorvitrifyvitrum

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

vitreous chamber
the space behind the lens of the eye that contains transparent gel

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle French vitreux, from Latin vitreus ("of glass, glassy"), from vitrum ("glass"). The transparent body of the eye was called vitreous because its clear, gel-like substance was compared with glass.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# vitreous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈvɪtriəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈvɪtriəs/
**Frequency rank:** 66540

## Meanings
1. made of, resembling, or having the qualities of glass
2. relating to the transparent gel that fills the eyeball behind the lens
3. made hard, smooth, and nonporous by firing or fusion

## Examples
- The lava cooled into a dark vitreous rock with a glassy surface.
- The injury caused blood to enter the vitreous chamber of the eye.
- The kiln produced a dense vitreous ceramic that absorbed very little water.

## Synonyms
- glassy
- glasslike
- vitreal
- vitrified

## Antonyms
- opaque
- porous

## Derived Forms
- vitreously
- vitreousness

## Related Forms
- vitreous humor
- vitrify
- vitrum

## Etymology
From Middle French vitreux, from Latin vitreus ("of glass, glassy"), from vitrum ("glass"). The transparent body of the eye was called vitreous because its clear, gel-like substance was compared with glass.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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