Names for things in bulk altered for separate portions - Noun-Parts Of Speech-ESL/Learn English Grammar

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15. Material nouns may be used as class names. Instead of

considering the whole body of material of which certain uses are made,

one can speak of particular uses or phases of the substance; as--


(1) _Of individual objects_ made from metals or other substances

capable of being wrought into various shapes. We know a number of

objects made of iron. The material _iron_ embraces the metal contained

in them all; but we may say, "The cook made the _irons_ hot,"

referring to flat-irons; or, "The sailor was put in _irons_" meaning

chains of iron. So also we may speak of _a glass_ to drink from or to

look into; _a steel_ to whet a knife on; _a rubber_ for erasing marks;

and so on.


(2) _Of classes_ or _kinds_ of the same substance. These are the same

in material, but differ in strength, purity, etc. Hence it shortens

speech to make the nouns plural, and say _teas_, _tobaccos_, _paints_,

_oils_, _candies_, _clays_, _coals_.


(3) _By poetical use_, of certain words necessarily singular in idea,

which are made plural, or used as class nouns, as in the following:--

The lone and level _sands_ stretch far away.--SHELLEY.


From all around--

Earth and her _waters_, and the depths of air--

Comes a still voice.--BRYANT.


Their airy ears

_The winds_ have stationed on the mountain peaks.

--PERCIVAL.


(4) _Of detached portions_ of matter used as class names; as _stones_,

_slates_, _papers_, _tins_, _clouds_, _mists_, etc.



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