wineglass

wineglass — noun

1. A container for drinking wine, shaped with a wide bowl at the top, a long thin s

1.nounB1
Definition

A container for drinking wine, shaped with a wide bowl at the top, a long thin stem, and a flat base that keeps the glass upright.

Example

Kian gently set the wineglass on the table after taking a sip.

collocation: set + wineglass + on [surface]

Theo accidentally knocked over a wineglass, spilling red juice across the cloth.

Common collocations
  • fill a wineglass
  • raise a wineglass
  • clink wineglasses
  • crystal wineglass
  • empty wineglass
Synonyms
  • wine glass

    Two-word spelling variant; equally common in everyday writing.

  • stemware

    Broader category covering all stemmed glasses (wineglasses, champagne flutes, etc.); more formal.

  • goblet

    Similar shape but often heavier, sometimes made of metal or pottery; less common for everyday wine drinking.

Usage Note

Wineglasses come in different shapes for different kinds of wine—red-wine glasses have a wider bowl, while white-wine glasses are narrower.

Common Mistakes

I need a wineglass for water.
I need a water glass for water.
A wineglass is designed for wine, not water or other drinks.
She broke a wine glass.' (two words)
She broke a wineglass.' (one word)
The single-word compound is standard in modern English.

Word family

  • wineglasses
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These three terms all refer to drinking vessels but differ in specificity and register. 'Wineglass' (or 'wine glass') is the everyday word for a stemmed glass used with wine. 'Stemware' is a collective term for any stemmed drinking glass — it includes wineglasses, champagne flutes, and sherry glasses — and is more common in retail or formal contexts. 'Goblet' describes a similarly shaped vessel but is usually larger, heavier, and not associated exclusively with wine; goblets may be made of metal or ceramic and appear in historical or fantasy settings. For general use, 'wineglass' is the clearest choice: 'She raised her wineglass in a toast' sounds natural, whereas 'She raised her goblet' sounds like a medieval banquet.

wine glass ↗stemware ↗goblet ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • fill a wineglass
  • raise a wineglass
  • clink wineglasses
  • empty wineglass

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

A compound of Old English 'wīn' (wine, from Latin 'vinum') and 'glæs' (glass). The word has been used since the 14th century to describe a glass vessel for drinking wine. The one-word spelling became standard in the 19th century.