Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also glasyer) in pl., the eyes.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 82: Glasyers, eyes.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: The Canters Dictionary Glasiers, eyes.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: The balls of these glaziers of mine, mine eyes, shall be shot up and down in any hot piece of service for my invincible mistress.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II i: Toure out with your Glaziers, I swear by the Ruffin, / That we are assaulted by a queer Cuffin.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 49: Glaziers, Eyes.
a.1674		‘The Rogues . . . praise of his Stroling Mort’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 19: Doxy oh! Thy Glaziers shine / As Glymmar by the Salomon.
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Glasiers, eyes.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: The cove has rum glaziers, c. that Rogue has excellent Eyes, or an Eye like a Cat.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 198: Dozy oh! Thy Glaziers shine, as Glimmar by the Salomon, No Gentry Mort hath Parts like thine,/no Cove e’er wap’d with such a one [My bonny Lass, by th’ Mass I swear,/Thine Eyes do shine than Fire more clear,/No silken Girl has Thighs like thine, No Doe more Buxome is than mine].
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 206: Glaziers, eyes. The cove has rum glaziers, i.e., that rogue has excellent eyes, or eyes like a cat.
1725		‘Retoure My Dear Dell’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 44: I should rejoice in thy glasiers again.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. n.p.: glaziers Eyes. The Cove has rum Glaziers.
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 17: Eyes – Ogles or Glaziers.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Glaziers; eyes.
a.1789		G. Parker (attrib.) ‘The Sandman’s Wedding’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 64: Forgive me if I praise those charms / Thy glaziers bright, lips, neck and arms.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.

2. (UK Und., also glazyer) a thief who breaks into houses after removing an accessible window, or into shops by smashing the shop window.

1661		Hue and Cry after Mercurius Democritus 8: The number of vicious Artists are unknown to the Mrs [i.e. Masters] and the Wardens of their own fencing Mobs [...] the life of which Company are High-way Pads, Glasiers, Shop-lifts, Fob-sylers [sic], instead of Bung -Tipers [sic] Bulkers,a nd some for the Mill, Budg and Snug.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 49: Glazyer, One that goes in at the windows.
1671		‘L.B.’ New Academy of Complements 204: The fifth is a Glasier, who when he creeps in, / To pinch all the Lurry, he thinks it no sin.
1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) 174: Glazyer One that creeps in at casements, or unrips glass windows to filch and steal.
1676		‘A Newgate ex-prisoner’ A Warning for House-Keepers 5: The way to prevent these Glasiers or window-creepers is to have shutters to your windows.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: [as cit. 1674].
1712		‘Black Procession’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 38: [as cit. 1671].
1725		Life and Glorious Actions of [...] Jonathan Wilde 13: A Glazier is a Sort of Thieves or House-breakers that [...] take their Opportunity to enter at a Window, and steal away immediately what comes to their Hands, but Plate in particular; or otherwise conceal themselves in the House, till the Family is at rest, then let in a number of Family Fellows, who then plunder as they please.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1674].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Glazier. One who breaks windows and shew-glasses, to steal goods exposed for sale.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1785].
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 15: Glazier – one that breaks windows and show glasses in order to steal goods exposed for sale.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open [as cit. 1835].
1859		Matsell Vocabulum 37: glazier A fellow that breaks windows or showcases, to steal the goods exposed for sale.
1869		‘Thief-Catcher’s Prophecy’ in W.H. Logan Pedlar’s Pack of Ballads 143: [as cit. 1674].

3. (UK Und.) a window.

1741

Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 116: The Windows The Glasiers.