Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

vase

American  
[veys, veyz, vahz] / veɪs, veɪz, vɑz /

noun

vases plural
  1. a vessel, as of glass, porcelain, earthenware, or metal, usually higher than it is wide, used chiefly to hold cut flowers or for decoration.


vase British  
/ vɑːz /

noun

  1. a vessel used as an ornament or for holding cut flowers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of vase

1555–65; < French < Latin vās vessel

Explanation

The tall container you put flowers in is a vase. Thanks for the enormous bouquet of daisies — I'll need to find a large enough vase to fit them in! A vase is a glass or ceramic container that serves only a decorative function — in other words, you're unlikely to serve a guest a big glass of lemonade in a vase. Vases are generally tall and narrow, to accommodate flower stems. Some vases are curvy and others are straight. In North America, vase usually rhymes with "face," which was its original English pronunciation, though modern British speakers say it so it rhymes with "blahs" instead.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing vase

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

On the fireplace mantel is a hot-dog candle, which matches the hot-dog vase in the kitchen, both of which go nicely with her “In My Hot Dog Era” T-shirt.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 20, 2026

If somebody gave you a seed, you put it in a vase with fresh dirt.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 12, 2026

"I can't lay my eyes on my favourite place at home, on some elements of my house, a vase, a view from my window," he said.

From Barron's Jun. 10, 2026

In fact, it goes back at least 2,500 years: An ancient vase in the Louvre carries a notice that reads, “Buy me and you’ll get a bargain.”

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 15, 2026

In the foyer, there was an overturned side table and a broken vase as Frankie had said.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

When she took a ceramics class in 2015, she started making vases, animals and decor, often hand-building and carving her unique vessels while watching TV in her living room.

From Los Angeles Times May 18, 2026

In a trip in November 2013 to Vincenzo Caffarella, a decorative arts and antiques shop in London, £170,000 was allegedly spent on a "vast amount of property" including Venetian lamps and vases.

From BBC Apr. 28, 2026

The couple have had the chance to add some of their own flair to the room in the form of artwork that is mounted on the wall, and a few vases and plants.

From MarketWatch Mar. 24, 2026

The month prior, structural weaknesses prompted the partial closure of one of the galleries hosting Greek vases and offices.

From BBC Feb. 13, 2026

There were many bright geraniums in stone vases on the steps of the verandah.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training