windowpanes

IPA/ˈwɪn.dəʊ.peɪn/
KK[wˈɪndopˌenz]IPA/ˈwɪn.doʊ.peɪn/

windowpanes — noun

1. one flat sheet of glass that fills a section of a window, held in place by the s

1.nounB1
Definition

one flat sheet of glass that fills a section of a window, held in place by the surrounding frame

Example

A stray cricket ball smashed the windowpane in Chiara's living room last Sunday.

The frost on the windowpane melted as the morning sun grew brighter.

collocation: frost on the windowpane

Common collocations
  • broken windowpane
  • cracked windowpane
  • frosted windowpane
  • steamed-up windowpane
  • clean the windowpane
  • replace a windowpane
  • look through the windowpane
  • tap on the windowpane
Synonyms
  • pane

    broader term; a pane can be part of a door, fence, or other flat surface, not only a window

  • glass panel

    more technical; used in construction contexts and not limited to windows

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A windowpane is specifically a single sheet of glass set into a window frame. Pane is a broader term that can describe any flat section of a surface—a pane of a door, a pane of stained glass, or even a panel in a comic strip—so it is not limited to windows. Glass panel is a more technical term used in construction and interior design; it may refer to larger sheets used in modern buildings and does not necessarily imply a window context. If you look through one section of a multi-part window, you are looking through a windowpane: each individual glass piece is a windowpane.

paneglass_panel

Common collocations

Etymology

Old NorseLatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed from 'window' (from Old Norse vindauga, literally 'wind eye') and 'pane' (from Middle English pan, via Old French from Latin pannus 'piece of cloth'). The word took its modern meaning in the 17th century as glass sheets replaced smaller leaded panels in domestic windows.

First known use

1750

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1