# Is glass a liquid or a solid **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936 "2005-08-07T00:53:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/41 "2005-08-09T03:33:15Z")
> [@Terminus Est](#): > > Hey, at least I gave some cites, however superficial. Where are yours? My post is my cite. Seriously, how bout [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6449268&postcount=13) ? Granted, a University chemistry textbook pales in significance to a google search, but it’s the best I could do. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/42 "2005-08-09T03:44:09Z")
Comment: > [@Bizzwire](#): > > Huh… so, according to your rigorous analysis, 11,600 other entities also employ the term “true solid,” yet somehow, I’m making it up? Response: > [@Terminus Est](#): > > Hey, at least I gave some cites, however superficial. Where are yours? Oh yeah: in putting together my previous post, I neglected to mention that you somehow forgot to address the actual issue I raised (reprinted above in case you forgot). I’m sure it must have accidently slipped your mind. Feel free to expound. I’m here all week, folks. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/43 "2005-08-09T03:50:24Z")
> [@Hakuna Matata](#): > > She felt this made sense since older glass has that droopy look as it ages it is basically sliding down. This can cause endless debates on the definition of “solids” and “liquids”. (and we have a good start on one, above 😛 ) However, in any case- window panes are not slowly melting. OK? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/44 "2005-08-09T03:52:52Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > **Colibri** was right, this _is_ about language. It’s about _definitions_, and there can be serveral different definitions that apply to the same word, even in technical fields (as has been indicated by several posters in this thread). All of the different definitions can be correct within their own contexts. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/45 "2005-08-09T04:01:24Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > Oh yeah: in putting together my previous post, I neglected to mention that you somehow forgot to address the actual issue I raised (reprinted above in case you forgot). I’m sure it must have accidently slipped your mind. Feel free to expound. I’m here all week, folks. As I said, those 11,600 entities were mostly selling refrigerators, talking about colors, or discussing three-dimensional models. ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/46 "2005-08-09T07:16:07Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > By the way, is it me, or do we go through this exercise in hair-splitting roughly every 6 months? Yes, but this time round it’s _with feeling!_ > [@JustAnotherGeek](#): > > By Here would be some examples of how I use terms (Material Scientist may have multiple aneurysms, but they work for me to get the message across ;)) No aneurysms with that list, but earlier you referred to “intermolecular bonds” in metals, so I will dedicate the rest of my life to hunting you down! And when I find you I will tut at you. > [@bizzwire](#): > > **Colibri** was right, this **is** about language. No, it’s about who’s right. And it’s me! Me, me, me, me, me! [sub]Maybe it is about language, a bit. Alright, maybe a lot. But that would mean that we’re nitpicking over semantics for no good reason in GQ, and that couldn’t possibly be true.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/47 "2005-08-09T11:29:20Z")
> [@Terminus Est](#): > > As I said, those 11,600 entities were mostly selling refrigerators, talking about colors, or discussing three-dimensional models. Good point; I missed this first time around, but don’t really feel as passionately as you do to go fishing through all the hits to find ones that uses the term as I did. I’ll cede your point that I used of a term that is at best is archaic, at worst, pulled out of my ass. Point, **Terminus Est** ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/48 "2005-08-09T13:49:19Z")
> [@matt](#): > > No aneurysms with that list, but earlier you referred to “intermolecular bonds” in metals, so I will dedicate the rest of my life to hunting you down! And when I find you I will tut at you. Only because I didn’t want to get into the whole “sea of electrons/shared valences” (which _is_ a kind of intermolecular bond, albeit nowhere near as strong as, say, hydrogen bonds in water.) ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/49 "2005-08-09T16:05:34Z")
You guys can skewer me for this but I think it’s a false dichotomy (trichotomy?). “Liquid”, “solid”, & “gas” are human definitions. Nature is not strictly bound by them. ---
**Author:** ![Bin-Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@Bin-Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bin-Gay)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936/50 "2005-08-09T19:50:10Z")
WOW!! Who would have thought my comment over lunch would inspire such a lively discussion!! I love it! Thanks to all posters!! 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-glass-a-liquid-or-a-solid/315936.md?page=2)