fiberglass

noun fi·ber·glass \ ˈfī-bər-ˌglas \

Definition of fiberglass

1 :glass in fibrous form used in making various products (such as glass wool for insulation)

2 :a composite structural material of plastic and fiberglass

See fiberglass defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of fiberglass from the Web

Using a fiberglass glider with a 16-foot wingspan, the team hoped to set a record for autonomous flight time by a sailplane — more than five hours aloft.

— cade metz, New York Times, "Microsoft Teaches Autonomous Gliders to Make Decisions on the Fly," 16 Aug. 2017
As the team attempted to put the snare, which is like a noose, around the animal's neck, the gator rolled, lunged toward the boat, and actually bit the side and part of the deck, cutting through the gelcoat above the fiberglass.

— AL.com, "Giant gator comes to the scales during state hunt," 12 Aug. 2017
The mailbox and converted fiberglass water tank are submerged ten feet beneath the surface of Mele Bay, a body of water that feeds into the South Pacific Ocean.

— jennifer nalewicki, Smithsonian, "Whale Mail Is the New Snail Mail at the World’s First Underwater Post Office," 9 Aug. 2017
The engine, battery and mechanicals were all stripped, the boat sustained damage to the fiberglass hull, damage to the pontoons from being dragged on a roadway, damage to the aluminum railings, as well as various missing pieces and parts.

— jon manley, The Seattle Times, "Gig Harbor kayak team’s missing boat is back but in need of costly repairs," 31 July 2017
Medical highlights included soot and fiberglass inhalation, a nail through my foot and hammered thumbs and fingers, accompanied by a lavish amount of spirited cursing.

— tim woodward, idahostatesman, "Home improvement project got you down? Cheer up. This one was probably worse.," 14 July 2017
At 16-feet long and 2,500 pounds, its fiberglass composition is a much sleeker alternative to the typical Airstream design, and can be easily towed behind most vehicles.

— kelly o'sullivan, Country Living, "The Airstream Nest Will Change the Way You Travel," 10 July 2017
Edwards says they were mostly see-through fiberglass, but not entirely.

— gregg doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: 'You'll never see a gym like that again'," 5 July 2017
But Durano pointed out to aldermen that the dog in the statue is made from fiberglass and is clad in the body armor that the department would actually put on any dog put into service.

— gregory tejeda, Daily Southtown, "Oak Forest gets first look at police dog statue," 1 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fiberglass.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of fiberglass

1937

fiberglass

verb

Definition of fiberglass

transitive verb

:to protect or repair by applying fiberglass

First Known Use of fiberglass

1967

FIBERGLASS Defined for English Language Learners

fiberglass

noun

Definition of fiberglass for English Language Learners

: a light and strong material that is made from thin threads of glass and that is used in making various products

FIBERGLASS Defined for Kids

fiberglass

noun fi·ber·glass \ ˈfī-bər-ˌglas \

Definition of fiberglass for Students

:glass in the form of fibers used in various products (as filters and insulation)

Learn More about fiberglass

See words that rhyme with fiberglass Spanish Central: Translation of fiberglass Nglish: Translation of fiberglass for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fiberglass

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