Definition

1. Noun:
   • A glass for drinking water: A drinking vessel, typically a simple, clear glass, specifically intended for holding and consuming water.
   • A viscous glass consisting of sodium silicate in solution; used as a cement or as a protective coating and to preserve eggs: A chemical compound, also known as liquid glass, used in various industrial and household applications.
   • Gauge for indicating the level of water in e.g. a tank or boiler or reservoir: A device, often a transparent tube, that shows the water level inside a container or system.
   • Clock that measures time by the escape of water: An ancient timekeeping device, also known as a clepsydra, which uses the regulated flow of water to mark the passage of time.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Drinking vessel):
  • She filled her water glass from the pitcher on the table.
  • Please set a water glass at each place setting for dinner.
• Noun (Chemical solution):
  • The eggs were preserved by coating them in water glass.
  • This adhesive contains water glass as a binding agent.
• Noun (Level gauge):
  • The engineer checked the water glass to monitor the boiler's pressure.
  • The water glass on the fish tank shows it needs to be refilled.
• Noun (Timekeeping device):
  • Ancient civilizations used a water glass to measure intervals of time.

Advanced Usage

• The term "water glass" is highly context-dependent. In a domestic setting, it almost always refers to the drinking vessel. In industrial, scientific, or historical contexts, the other meanings become primary.

Variants and Related Words

• Drinking glass: A more general term for a glass used for beverages.
• Tumbler: A type of drinking glass without a stem or handle.
• Liquid glass: Another name for the sodium silicate solution.
• Clepsydra: The technical/historical name for the water clock.
• Sight glass: A term often used interchangeably for the level gauge in industrial contexts.

Synonyms

• For the drinking vessel: tumbler, goblet (if stemmed), beaker.
• For the chemical: sodium silicate solution.
• For the gauge: sight glass, level indicator.
• For the clock: clepsydra, water clock.

Related Phrases

• To top up someone's water glass: To refill someone's drinking glass with water.
  • During the meal, the waiter quietly topped up our water glasses.

Noun

1. clock that measures time by the escape of water
2. gauge for indicating the level of water in e.g. a tank or boiler or reservoir
3. a glass for drinking water
4. a viscous glass consisting of sodium silicate in solution; used as a cement or as a protective coating and to preserve eggs