el vitro
glass-ceramic cooktop
Definition & meaning
Vitro is an informal shortened form of vitrocerámica , meaning a glass-ceramic cooktop or hob. It is usually feminine: la vitro.
The word may also appear in the expression in vitro , a Latin expression used in Spanish to mean “in a laboratory,” literally “in glass.” In this expression, vitro refers to a glass laboratory container or vessel, not to a kitchen appliance.
Grammar & Word origin
- Gender: feminine when referring to a cooktop: la vitro.
- Number: las vitro or, more commonly, las vitrocerámicas .
- Word formation: it is a colloquial shortening of vitrocerámica .
- The element vitro- comes from Latin vitrum , meaning “glass.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- placa vitrocerámica — the standard and more complete term for a glass-ceramic cooktop.
- cocina vitrocerámica — a glass-ceramic stove or cooking surface; it can refer to the whole appliance rather than just the cooktop.
- placa de inducción — sometimes used loosely as a similar kitchen appliance, although induction cooktops use a different heating technology.
There is no direct antonym. A cocina de gas or cocina eléctrica can be considered contrasting types of cooktop, but they are not strict opposites.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
La vitro estaba sucia después de cocinar la cena.noun
The glass-ceramic cooktop was dirty after cooking dinner.
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