RSS Feeds: A Glass is not just something that is Half Full or Half Empty
I don't know if you'd call it a quirk or just a word that has been abused over the years. While the word "glass" properly describes what an object is made of, it has turned into a kind of generic word that also refers to the objects made of glass. I'll explain what I mean by giving you real world examples.
What is the original meaning of glass?
The first definition I can find sums it up: Glass is a hard, brittle, noncrystalline, more or less transparent substance produced by fusion, usually consisting of mutually dissolved silica and silicates that also contain soda and lime, as in the ordinary variety used for windows and bottles.
That's simple enough for anyone to understand. When you read "Collecting Carnival Glass", is the article referring to what carnival glass is made of or is it referring to specific types of objects made of glass?
Collectively, objects made of glass are properly described as "glassware".
Auto Glass or Automotive Glass
Auto glass isn't another kind of glass. It refers to the windshields and windows of automobiles such as cars, trucks and motorcycles. I'm not sure when I first heard it used that way, but most of the time it's used in connection with the automotive insurance industry.
Whenever you see anything referring to auto glass repair, auto glass replacement, windshield glass or car glass, it's almost always in reference to auto glass and things like truck insurance.
Common Usage
The word "glass" is often used in place of the word "tumbler" or other words to describe a drinking beverage container, example: "I'm going to get a glass of water." Why would "wine glass" mean a drinking container for wine?
The word "glasses" usually refers to "eyeglasses" or spectacles you wear in front of your eyes, like "Where's my glasses? I can't see well enough to find them." It can, however, also refer to multiple beverage containers, like "Put the glasses in the cupboard, please."
While not limited to churches, "stained glass" usually refers to the stained glass windows in a church.
Uncommon Usage
When used with other words, such as "spyglass", the word glass takes on new meanings. A spyglass refers to a hand held telescope. I've never heard it used for binoculars, but the meaning would be just as well conveyed if it was. The word "fiberglass" gets its meaning from the glass component.
I've only seen the term "looking glass" refer to a mirror one time in my 40+ years of life and it refers to "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (or maybe the sequel, "Through the Looking-Glass"). A mirror is usually just called a mirror or mirrored glass.
All of these are just examples of how a single word can be used to describe many different things in the English language. Now, because I'm limited in my experiences of the word usage to the areas I've lived in or visited, the words I've described are probably only a few of the terms that include "glass". Do you know of ways it's used that I've probably missed?
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