vitrine

noun

vi·​trine və-ˈtrēn 

: a glass showcase or cabinet especially for displaying fine wares or specimens

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

There will be nine dressed windows and four vitrines showcasing the women’s and men’s collection, alongside four lightboxes and four digital windows featuring campaign visuals from the American artist Jo Ann Callis. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026

This careful calibration of fit blurs the distinction between the gallery and the vitrine. — Katy Barkan, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Conservation questions surely informed certain placements (glass vitrines, elevated platforms). — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2026

A lot of them are tucked away in vitrines that serve as pedestals for dresses by some of the world’s most exclusive designers. — Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from vitre pane of glass, from Old French, from Latin vitrum

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

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