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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
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
29 June 2026
In an act of pure showmanship, Bolton has placed mannequins clothed in fleshlike skintight garments in a tall glass vitrine visible to museumgoers heading toward the medieval wing—a seductive preview that may help lure them away from Arms and Armor.
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Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Visitors to the Reykjavík Art Museum can leave their coats, bags, and other belongings in viewable vitrines near the entrance, to serve as something like memorials for those taking in the show.
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Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
18 June 2026
Designed in the same red, green and gold palette as its larger Maastricht presentation, the space features the company’s jewels displayed in elegant wall vitrines.
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Anthony Demarco,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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 Jul. 2026.
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