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The history of "vitrine" is clear as glass. It comes to English by way of the Old French word vitre, meaning "pane of glass," from Latin vitrum, meaning "glass." "Vitrum" has contributed a number of words to the English language besides "vitrine." "Vitreous" ("resembling glass" or "relating to, derived from, or consisting of glass") is the most common of these. "Vitrify" ("to convert or become converted into glass or into a glassy substance by heat and fusion") is another. A much rarer "vitrum" word - and one that also entered English by way of "vitre" - is vitrailed, meaning "fitted with stained glass."
Examples of vitrine in a Sentence
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023
These vitrines, which embody the film’s aesthetic—horror, viewed clinically—are featured in the film.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
In a nearby vitrine, Inzuki, a young Rwandan brand, presents a woven-basket collar necklace comprising interlocking bands of aquamarine, deep orange, hot pink and more, clearly drawn from traditional basket design.
—Seph Rodney, New York Times, 29 June 2023
One gallery here contains furnishings from their shop: two vitrines by Hoffmann displaying Werkstätte jewelry, including some pieces originally owned by Emilie, and a white proto-Minimalist table designed by Moser.
—Roberta Smith, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
Small vitrines arranged wall-to-wall are filled with whimsical, sculptural jewelry designed by Claude Lalanne and Lady Dior bags reimagined by an impressive roster of contemporary artists.
—Amy Verner, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2023
At the entrance, guests will be greeted by vitrines of jewels and handbags perched atop shelves nearly reaching the ceiling.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2023
At MoMA, Blue Collar paintings and their postscripts face off on either side of a vast vitrine filled with books and photographs of Los Angeles.
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023
In a room adjacent to the main selling space sit displays and wall vitrines showcasing gala-appropriate jewels set with Colombian emeralds, unheated rubies and sapphires, and Type IIa diamonds (a gemological classification that denotes the finest, most limpid stones).
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vitrine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vitrine
Cite this Entry
“Vitrine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vitrine. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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