beach glass

noun

: small pieces of glass that have been physically and chemically weathered by exposure to the effects of a body of water (such as a sea or lake)

Shining in the sand like so many emeralds, sapphires, opals, and bits of amethyst and aquamarine, the burnished shards, known as sea glass, look as if they might have been emptied from a treasure chest anchored to the ocean floor. … (In some regions, the shards are called beach glass.)

—Sarah Stebbins

sometimes, specifically : beach glass that has been weathered by the action of fresh water

Beach glass forms in fresh water, rather than salt water. Its appearance is less frosty than sea glass.

—Seth Jacobson

compare sea glass

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above