ampulla

[ am-puhl-uh, -pool-uh ]

noun

, plural am·pul·lae [am-, puhl, -ee, -, pool, -ee].

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

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ampullaceous, adjective
• ampullar, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ampulla¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ampulla¹

C16: from Latin, diminutive of amphora

Example Sentences

Dehnhardt and his colleagues noticed the pits on the bottlenose dolphins looked a lot like ampullae on sharks, which are a line of small pores near their mouths that allow them to detect electric fields.

From Salon

And all species have something that sounds as if it came from a Harry Potter novel: ampullae of Lorenzini, receptors that respond to electrical fields, which all animals generate.

From New York Times

“They can detect very minute electric fields in the water,” said Andreotti of the sensory organ, known as the ampullae of Lorenzini and also found in rays.

From The Guardian

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

From BBC

Using jelly-filled cells called ampullae of Lorenzini, they can detect the disturbances in Earth's magnetic field generated by the movement of animals and waves.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• beaker
• canteen
• carafe
• chalice
• decanter
• jug
• urn
• vial