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

Their wings deserve a close inspection, as the translucent curved fixtures are inspired by stained glass windows.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 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

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

A few gorgeous floral stencils, small sculptures and a stained glass window remain from Lloyd’s work in the auditorium of the former South Pasadena elementary school, which closed to students in 1979.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2025

I pray to every statue, to the stained glass windows, the Stations of the Cross.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt