vitreous

/ˈvɪtriəs/

//ˈvɪtriəs// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"vitreous" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vitreous” is uncommon English (frequency #55,183 among 7,391 “V” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,183
frequency rank, English
7,391
“V” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or resembling glass; glassy.

Key facts for vitreous
PropertyValue
Headwordvitreous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈvɪtriəs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#55,183
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vitreous” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). vitreous lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

vitreous is uncommon English at frequency #55,183 among 7,391 “V” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈvɪtriəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for vitreous in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French vitreux, from Latin vitreus (“glassy, transparent”), from vitrum (“glass”). The terms vitreous (positive) and resinous (negative) electricity were coined in 1733 by Charles François de Cisternay du Fay, who studied the different behaviour… The correct English form is vitreous, spelled V-I-T-R-E-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or resembling glass; glassy.
  2. 2
    Of or relating to the vitreous humor of the eye.
  3. 3
    Having a shiny nonporous surface.
  4. 4
    Of a semi-crystalline substance where the atoms exhibit short-range order, but without the long-range order of a crystal.
  5. 5
    With a glass-like texture, often referring to volcanic rocks that cooled too quickly for crystals to form.
  6. 6
    Positive (of electric charge).

Etymology

From Middle French vitreux, from Latin vitreus (“glassy, transparent”), from vitrum (“glass”). The terms vitreous (positive) and resinous (negative) electricity were coined in 1733 by Charles François de Cisternay du Fay, who studied the different behaviour of glass and resin when rubbed with silk and fur, respectively.

This word in other languages

vitreux(Français)glasig(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "vitreous"?
"vitreous" is spelled V-I-T-R-E-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɪtriəs/.
What does "vitreous" mean?
As an adjective, "vitreous" means: Of or resembling glass; glassy.
How do you pronounce "vitreous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vitreous" is /ˈvɪtriəs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "vitreous"?
From Middle French vitreux, from Latin vitreus (“glassy, transparent”), from vitrum (“glass”). The terms vitreous (positive) and resinous (negative) electricity were coined in 1733 by Charles François de Cisternay du Fay, who studied the different... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “vitreous”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is V-I-T-R-E-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈvɪtriəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list