ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vessel

n. · v.
US //ˈvɛsəɫ// UK //vˈɛsəl// ves·sel
  1. 1 a ship or boat (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Nautical

    a ship or large boat used for traveling on water.

    a craft designed for water navigation, typically larger than a rowboat or small motorboat.

    Example

    The fishing vessel returned to the harbor just before the storm began.

    Example

    The coast guard intercepted an unidentified vessel drifting approximately twelve miles off the shoreline, though no crew members were found on board.
  2. 2 a container (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a container like a bowl, cup, or bottle used for holding liquids.

    a hollow container, such as a cup, vase, or pitcher, used to hold liquids or other substances.

    Example

    The museum displayed an ancient clay vessel used for storing olive oil.

    Example

    Archaeologists recovered several ceremonial vessels from the burial site, many of which still contained traces of wine and grain from the third century.
Show 3 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 a tube in the body (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicine

    a small tube in your body that carries blood or other fluids.

    a duct or canal, such as an artery or vein, that conveys blood or lymph within an organism.

    Example

    High blood pressure can damage the small blood vessels in your eyes.

    Example

    The surgeon worked meticulously to repair the ruptured blood vessel, ensuring that circulation was restored to the lower limb before permanent tissue damage occurred.
  2. 4 a person as a carrier (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    a person who is seen as a container for a specific quality, like grace or anger.

    a person regarded as a holder or transmitter of a particular quality, emotion, or divine influence.

    Example

    In the story, the young girl was a vessel for the hopes of her entire village.

    Example

    The poet described the protagonist as a fragile vessel of grief, unable to contain the immense sorrow brought about by the war.
  3. 5 to put into a container (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    to put a liquid or substance into a container.

    to place or pour a substance into a vessel for storage or processing.

    Example

    The wine is vesseled in oak barrels to age for several years.

    Example

    After the initial fermentation process is complete, the liquid is vesseled into stainless steel tanks to ensure a controlled environment for the final stage.
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wāss Late Latin vās Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Italic *-elom Late Latin -ulum Late Latin -culum Late Latin vāsculum Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Italic *-elos Late Latin -lus Late Latin vāscellum Old French vaisselbor. Middle English vessel English vessel Inherited from Middle English vessel, vessell (“small container”); from Old French vaissel (compare modern French vaisseau and Catalan vaixell), from Late Latin vāscellum, diminutive of vāsculum, diminutive of vās (“vase, vessel”).

Idioms2 entries

© 2026 English Reference