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

• stained-glass
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of stained glass

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

He did etchings, lithographs, even stained glass windows - equally at home working with the grandeur of opera design and the intimacy of pen and ink.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

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

Artist Ben Tuna has turned the shells of burned-out vintage Porsches into artistic symbols of revival through his work with stained glass salvaged from churches.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026

It was these vehicles that captured the imagination of Ben Tuna, a self-described car guy and stained glass artist, who saw a way to create something beautiful from the rubble.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

The chapel was dim except for a few high chandeliers and the permanent glow of the rich hues of the stained glass windows.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat