vitreous

American  

[vi-tree-uhs] / ˈvɪ tri əs /

adjective

1. of the nature of or resembling glass, as in transparency, brittleness, hardness, glossiness, etc..

   vitreous china.

2. of or relating to glass.

3. obtained from or containing glass.

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vitreous British  

/ ˈvɪtrɪəs /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling glass

2. made of, derived from, or containing glass

3. of or relating to the vitreous humour or vitreous body

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vitreous Scientific  

/ vĭt′rē-əs /

1. Relating to or resembling glass.

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Other Word Forms

• subvitreous adjective
• subvitreously adverb
• subvitreousness noun
• unvitreosity noun
• unvitreous adjective
• unvitreously adverb
• unvitreousness noun
• vitreosity noun
• vitreously adverb
• vitreousness noun

Etymology

Origin of vitreous

1640–50; < Latin vitreus, equivalent to vitr ( um ) glass + -eus -eous

Explanation

Something that has the characteristics of glass — hard, brittle, glossy, possibly transparent — can be said to be vitreous, or glasslike. A vitreous surface works well for a kitchen counter. The adjective vitreous, which appeared in the 1640s, is from the Latin vitrum, "glass." Since the 1660s, the gel that fills the eye between the lens and the retina has been known as the "vitreous humor," the "vitreous body," or simply "the vitreous," presumably for the gel's clear, glassine appearance. If the vitreous breaks down, becoming more liquid than gel (usually due to aging or an injury), it can be disrupted, creating vision problems.

Example Sentences

The procedure begins with a vitrectomy, where the eye's vitreous gel is removed from between the lens and the retina.

From Science Daily • Oct. 20, 2025

One approach is a surgery called a vitrectomy—not to be a confused with a vasectomy, though neither are a walk in the park—which involves scooping out the vitreous and replacing it with a saline solution.

From Slate • Nov. 28, 2018

So, this week I had surgery to place medicine implants in my eyes and had a vitrectomy to drain out the polluted vitreous fluid in my eyeball and replace it with a clear solution.

From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2018

Its cladding is not generic glass and steel, but includes strips of white vitreous enamel overlaid with big bronze coloured X-shaped struts that stiffen the structure.

From The Guardian • Dec. 6, 2015

That’s called vitreous fluid, I thought with clarity.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini