† steel glass Obs.
1. A mirror made of polished steel, whether an ordinary looking-glass or an optical instrument of some special construction.
| 1530 [see glass n.1 8 b]. 1542 in Archæol. Jrnl. XVIII. 139 Item oone square Loking stele glasse sett in crymsen vellat. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 78 b, With that he offered him at his commynge a stele glasse to loke in. 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 71 A woman,..the onely steele glasse for man to beholde hys infirmities, by comparinge them wyth woemens perfections. 1614 Bp. Hall Recoll. Treat. 901 As some steel-glasses, wherein the Sun looks and shewes his face in the variety of those colours which he hath not. 1677 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 120 Near which is hung a Mirrour or steel-Glass. |
2. (See quot. 1753.)
| 1662 Merrett Neri's Art Glass Notes 342 Cardan. l. 2. [= xi] de variet. c. 57. Glasses call'd Steel-Glasses [orig. Specula chalibea uocata] are made of three parts of Brass, of one part of Tin and Silver, and an 18{supt}{suph} part of Antimony. 1675 Boyle in Phil. Trans. X. 348 Those metalline Specula, whether plain or concave, that are call'd Steel-glasses. 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl., Steel glasses, a name given by some authors to the metalline spheres used in optics. |