A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Antique Glass ~ A non-specific term, that in the standards of the US for an "antique" would denote glass that is more than 100 years old; a popular search term on the internet
Berry Set ~ A full set would consist of 6 sauce dishes and a berry bowl; could be used for many food items such as desserts, vegetables, fruits.
Bowl ~ Sometimes used to describe the top part of a goblet where the liquid would be; other goblet parts would be the stem and the foot.
Bubble ~ A pocket of gas trapped in glass during the manufacturing process.
Buttermilk ~ A term used by some collectors who seek the bottoms of large, footed, round sugar bowls missing lids in order to use them for mixed drinks.
Castor (caster) ~ A bottle from which one can sprinkle or pour sugar, pepper, vinegar, resting in a metal or glass frame; these bottles do not balance well on a table , they need to be in the frame.
Celery Vase ~ A tall cylindrical piece used in Victorian times for serving celery at the table; depending on the pattern, some have a flat base, others are supported by a short stem and foot.
Children’s Glass ~ Glass that was manufactured to be used as a plaything for a child; smaller in size than adult pieces; some patterns duplicate existing adult patterns, others are exclusive and have no adult sized counterparts.
Champagne ~ Stemware that is shorter than a goblet and taller than a wine in any specific pattern; the bowl may be saucer shaped or take the shape of the goblet.
Cordial ~ Stemware that is shorter than a wine in a specific pattern; most cordials are hard to find and many manufacturers did not make a cordial as part of their specific pattern line.
Cup Plate ~ Small molded plates used to hold a teacup while the tea cooled in saucers before drinking; they signal the beginning of mechanized glass making in America, c. 1826; most are about 3-3½" in diameter, although they can be larger or smaller.
Crystal ~ A generic term for colorless glass; many Early American Pattern Glass collectors use the word "clear" to describe colorless glass.
Flint Glass ~ Generally heavy, brilliant, resonant glass manufactured between ca. 1840 – 1860; the addition of lead to the glass formula during this period resulted in designs featuring geometric shapes, some simple, others more complicated.
Historical Glass ~ Glass that reflects an event or person in history such as Christopher Columbus, the Civil War, Jenny Lind, Battleship Maine, American presidents.
Lacy Glass ~ Characterized by fine stippling between basic design elements of scrolls, leaves, bulls eyes, hearts; a period of American glassmaking between c. 1830-1840.
Mold Seam ~ A ridge caused by glass flowing between parts of the mold used to make the item; on some pieces it was smoothed away by grinding or fire polishing.
Nappy ~ A small serving dish, usually not much larger than a sauce dish, and sometimes used to indicate a sauce dish.
Open Sugar ~ A sugar dish that was never made with a lid; true open sugars are generally smaller in size than most lidded sugar dishes.
Spooner (spoon holder) ~ part of a "table set" used to hold spoons on a Victorian table; they may be double handled or without handles; they may sit flat on the table or be supported by a short stem and foot.
Stem ~ the part of a piece which separates the top from the bottom; in a goblet, wine, cordial, champagne, eggcup or footed salt, it separates the bowl from the base; also applies to other shapes when there is something between the base and top.
Straw Mark ~ a misnomer for "shear line" caused by cutting molten glass off the end of a rod with a scissors; it appears as a line, often at the bottom of a piece.
Table Set ~ Comprises 4 pieces of glass those being a sugar, creamer, covered butter and a spooner in the same pattern.