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

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

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 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

A golden shaft of light may stream through the stained glass windows; seconds later, an unseen cloud passes by, casting a chill across the bricks.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

He nodded back, and the light streaming in from the stained glass window glinted gold on his slicked-back tawny hair.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu