Vitreous

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: vit=re=ous

CIDE DICTIONARY

Vitreous, a. [L. vitreous, from vitrum glass; perhaps akin to videre to see (see Vision). Cf. Varnish.].

•  Consisting of, or resembling, glass; glassy; as, vitreous rocks.  [1913 Webster]
•  Of or pertaining to glass; derived from glass; as, vitreous electricity.  [1913 Webster]

Vitreous body (Anat.), the vitreous humor. See the Note under Eye. -- Vitreous electricity (Elec.), the kind of electricity excited by rubbing glass with certain substances, as silk; positive electricity; -- opposed to resinous, or negative, electricity. -- Vitreous humor. (Anat.) See the Note under Eye. -- Vitreous sponge (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of siliceous sponges having, often fibrous, glassy spicules which are normally six-rayed; a hexactinellid sponge. See Venus's basket, under Venus.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Vitreous, adj.
1 of, or of the nature of, glass.
2 like glass in hardness, brittleness, transparency, structure, etc. (vitreous enamel).

Idiom

vitreous humour (or body) Anat. a transparent jelly-like tissue filling the eyeball.

Derivative

vitreousness n.

Etymology

L vitreus f. vitrum glass

ROGET THESAURUS

Vitreous

Hardness

N hardness, rigidity, renitence, renitency, inflexibility, temper, callosity, durity, induration, petrifaction, lapidification, lapidescence, vitrification, ossification, crystallization, stone, pebble, flint, marble, rock, fossil, crag, crystal, quartz, granite, adamant, bone, cartilage, hardware, heart of oak, block, board, deal board, iron, steel, cast iron, decarbonized iron, wrought iron, nail, brick, concrete, cement, hard, rigid, stubborn, stiff, firm, starch, starched, stark, unbending, unlimber, unyielding, inflexible, tense, indurate, indurated, gritty, proof, adamant, adamantine, adamantean, concrete, stony, granitic, calculous, lithic, vitreous, horny, corneous, bony, osseous, ossific, cartilaginous, hard as a rock, stiff as buckram, stiff as a poker, stiff as starch, stiff as as board.

Transparency

N transparence, transparency, clarity, translucence, translucency, diaphaneity, lucidity, pellucidity, limpidity, fluorescence, transillumination, translumination, transparent medium, glass, crystal, lymph, vitrite, water, transparent, pellucid, lucid, diaphanous, translucent, tralucent, relucent, limpid, clear, serene, crystalline, clear as crystal, vitreous, transpicuous, glassy, hyaline, hyaloid, vitreform.