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Showing results for ampulla. Search instead for Ampullae.
Synonyms

ampulla

American  
[am-puhl-uh, -pool-uh] / æmˈpʌl ə, -ˈpʊl ə /

noun

plural

ampullae

  1. Anatomy. a dilated portion of a canal or duct, especially of the semicircular canals of the ear.

  2. Zoology, Botany. any flask-shaped structure.

  3. Ecclesiastical.

    1. a vessel for the wine and water used at the altar.

    2. a vessel for holding consecrated oil.

  4. a two-handled bottle having a somewhat globular shape, made of glass or earthenware, used by the ancient Romans for holding oil, wine, or perfumes.

  5. Ichthyology. ampulla of Lorenzini.

ampulla British  
/ ˌæmpʊˈleɪʃəs, æmˈpʊlə, æmˈpʊlə, æmˈpʊlərɪ /

noun

  1. anatomy the dilated end part of certain ducts or canals, such as the end of a uterine tube

  2. Christianity

    1. a vessel for containing the wine and water used at the Eucharist

    2. a small flask for containing consecrated oil

  3. a Roman two-handled bottle for oil, wine, or perfume

"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

  • ampullaceous adjective
  • ampullar adjective

Etymology

Origin of ampulla

< New Latin, Latin, equivalent to amphor ( a ) amphora + -la diminutive suffix, with normal vowel reduction and Greek ph rendered as p

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.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will pour holy oil from an eagle-shaped ampulla, or flask, then rub it on the king’s hands, chest and head.

From Seattle Times • May 6, 2023

For the ceremony, the oil is kept in a solid gold flask called an ampulla, shaped like an eagle.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2018

What they saw surprised them: human-looking bones and what appeared to be a broken lead ampulla – a vessel to hold holy water.

From The Guardian • Aug. 5, 2015

The box also contained a tiny lead vial, or ampulla, that had been twisted open and was in two pieces.

From Washington Post • Jul. 27, 2015

The four air-holes which, as I have said, are on the top of the furnace beside the large hole on which the ampulla is placed, are likewise covered with lute.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.