stained glass

American  

noun

1. glass that has been colored, enameled, painted, or stained, especially by having pigments baked onto its surface or by having various metallic oxides fused into it, as used in church windows, decorative lampshades, etc.

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stained glass British  

noun

1. 1. glass that has been coloured in any of various ways, as by fusing with a film of metallic oxide or burning pigment into the surface, used esp for church windows

   2. ( as modifier )

      a stained-glass window

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stained-glass
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of stained glass

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

Looming over the colorless town is its hulking circa-1385 monastery, extended in convent courtyards and stately chapels with lofty naves, offering dazzling displays of stained glass.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Built on the site of Andrew Jackson’s headquarters in the War of 1812 and replete with marble staircases and stained glass, the hotel dates to 1908.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Beginning in March 2025, Tuna snagged five burned-out Porsches from the L.A. fires, and began turning the shells into cathedral-like creations using salvaged stained glass from old churches.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

"It feels like somewhere we're not supposed to be," Libby adds, looking around at the statues and stained glass.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

Shady looked up, and with the sun gleaming in through the stained glass, he looked like he was having a revelation.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool