Vitreology
/ˌvɪtriˈɒlədʒi/noun
The study of glass, including its properties, manufacture, and history.
Did you know?The root Latin word vitrum, meaning “glass,” also produced vitriol—the name for corrosive mineral salts whose crystalline forms were associated with glasslike substances and alchemical experimentation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weitro-
“A reconstructed root associated with glass or a glasslike substance; its deeper derivation is debated.”
Classical Latin
Latin
vitrum
“Glass; also a blue-colored mineral or dyeing substance.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
vitreus
“Made of glass or glasslike.”
19th Century
English
vitreology
“The study or science of glass.”
Modern English
English
vitreology
“The specialized study of glass, its materials, production, properties, and cultural history.”