vitrine
Noun: A tall, glass-fronted cabinet or case, typically used for displaying objects such as art, collectibles, merchandise, or other items of interest in a store, museum, or home setting. It is designed to protect the items inside while allowing them to be clearly visible.
A vitrine is used to showcase valuable, delicate, or aesthetically pleasing items. It serves both a protective function, shielding contents from dust and handling, and a presentational function, highlighting the items for viewing. - In a museum: It displays artifacts or specimens. - In a store: It displays high-value merchandise like jewelry or watches. - In a home: It displays personal collections, such as china, figurines, or awards.
- The museum's new exhibit features ancient coins in a well-lit vitrine.
- She keeps her grandmother's porcelain dolls in a beautiful wooden vitrine in the living room.
- The jewelry store arranges its finest diamond rings in the central vitrine.
- "Display vitrine": Emphasizes its primary function of exhibition.
- The antique shop invested in a new display vitrine for its vintage watches.
- The term can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe a situation where something is put on show or made highly visible, often in a way that feels artificial or staged.
- The corporate lobby, with its modern art and sleek furniture, felt like a vitrine for the company's wealth.
- Showcase (noun): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "vitrine," though "showcase" can also refer to an event demonstrating excellence.
- Display case (noun): A more general term for any case used for display.
- Cabinet (noun): A broader term for a piece of furniture with shelves or drawers; a vitrine is a specific type of glass-fronted cabinet.
- Curio cabinet (noun): A cabinet, often with glass sides and front, specifically for displaying curios or collectibles.
- Showcase
- Display case
- Glass case
- Exhibition case
There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs specifically using the word "vitrine." Its usage is primarily literal, referring to the physical object.
- a glass container used to store and display items in a shop or museum or home