Meaning & use
glasses
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“glasses” is a form of “glass”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
A pair of lenses in a frame that you wear in front of your eyes to help you see better.
Grammar: Used with plural verbs: my glasses are broken. To talk about one item, say a pair of glasses.
Patterns
- wear glasses
- a pair of glasses
- put on your glasses
I can't read the small print without my glasses.
She wiped her glasses on her sleeve and looked again.
He has worn glasses since he was about eight years old.
nounplural
Two lenses in a frame worn to protect the eyes from sun, wind, or bright light.
Grammar: Often used in compounds such as sunglasses or safety glasses; still takes a plural verb.
Patterns
- sunglasses
- safety glasses
- put on protective glasses
The workers must wear safety glasses near the machines.
He pushed his sunglasses up onto his head when he came inside.
nounplural
The plural of glass, meaning drinking containers or the material itself.
Grammar: This is the ordinary plural of the noun glass, so it follows normal plural rules.
Patterns
- two glasses of water
- wash the glasses
- broken glasses
Could you bring us two glasses of water, please?
She washed the wine glasses and put them back in the cupboard.
Word forms
| singular | glass |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pair of glasses
- He bought a new pair of glasses at the optician's.
- wear glasses
- I have to wear glasses for driving.
- reading glasses
- She keeps her reading glasses next to the bed.
- put on your glasses
- Put on your glasses — the board is a long way away.
- break your glasses
- If you break your glasses, you can't drive home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spectacles
- An older, more formal British word for the same object; it sounds dated in everyday American speech.
- eyeglasses
- Mainly American and slightly formal or old-fashioned; glasses is the normal everyday choice.
Word family
- glass noun
- The material, or a drinking container made of it.
- glassy adjective
- Smooth and shiny like glass, often describing water or eyes.
Commonly confused: glasses or glass? glasses or lenses?
glasses vs glass
Glass is the material or a cup; glasses are what you wear on your face. Saying 'a glass' for eyewear is a common learner mistake.
glasses vs lenses
Lenses are only the curved pieces inside the frame, not the whole thing you wear.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'glasses' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Glasses' is plural, so it takes a plural verb and words like 'her' or 'my'. Option 3 is correct. Option 2 uses a singular verb, option 1 uses the singular article 'a' with a plural noun, and option 4 should be 'a glass of milk'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “glasses”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.