rupert's ball

1 definition found

rupert's ball - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Rupert's drop \Ru"pert's drop`\
     A kind of glass drop with a long tail, made by dropping
     melted glass into water. It is remarkable for bursting into
     fragments when the surface is scratched or the tail broken;
     -- so called from Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I., by
     whom they were first brought to England. Called also
     Rupert's ball, and glass tear.
     [1913 Webster]