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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
Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 27 Nov. 2025
The ticket counter is now a welcome desk, and the benches by the entrance and the old coat check hold glass vitrines of pricey artwork and jewelry, not waiting grandmothers.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 7 Nov. 2025
There’s the oversized portrait of Jackie and Aristotle Onassis, antique vitrines in the guest rooms, a Chesterfield sofa in the kitchen that was formerly used in a Violet Grey store in Los Angeles.
—Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2025
Intricate—and literally time-consuming—works of moving art of this caliber are seldom seen outside elite museums, where 18th-century exemplars often sit within glass vitrines.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vitrine
Cite this Entry
“Vitrine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vitrine. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.
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