Glasshouses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Buildings made mainly of glass designed for growing plants and protecting them from weather ; situations or qualities that are delicate or cannot withstand criticism or rough handling
2. Enclosed glass structures that provide a controlled environment for cultivation of plants ; conditions characterized by vulnerability and susceptibility to harm or attack
3. Constructed spaces with transparent glass walls used for horticulture ; circumstances or traits that are easily broken or harmed, often metaphorically implying sensitivity

Etymology: "Glasshouses" is the plural of "glasshouse", a compound of "glass" and "house" that goes back to Middle English, where spellings such as "glasehows" and "glashous" appear. The word is transparent in its making: a building whose walls are glass, built for keeping plants warm and sheltered from weather. The older sense of the compound is literal, and the figurative sense, a situation or quality that is fragile or cannot take criticism, grows naturally from the image of something that breaks easily. The proverb "those who live in glass houses should not throw stones" shows the figurative idea at work. A house of glass is exposed on every side, so anyone who attacks others invites attack in return. Because the plural is so often used in that saying, the figurative meaning is probably the one most people now meet first.

Synonyms: greenhouses, hothouses