"glass + s" vs. "glasses" (in the OED)

[Charles C Doyle]

Researching a small literary point, I needed to know about the history of the use of the noun "glasses" for  'spectacles'.  Somewhat distractingly, the OED lacks a separate entry for "glasses."  I suspect that most present-day speakers do not think of "glasses" as the pluralizing of "glass"--even when we refer to a "pair of glasses."  It's like "scissors" or "pants."  Or "spectacles"--which likewise lacks a separate entry in the OED.

If typical dictionary users resemble my students in their inability or disinclination to perceive much at all about the historical development of words, they will be seriously handicapped when they access an on-line dictionary (the only kind most people use nowadays?) and type in the search term "glasses"--then get no results!

--Charlie

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