vessel

American  

[ves-uhl] / ˈvɛs əl /

noun

• vessels
  plural

1. a craft for traveling on water, now usually one larger than an ordinary rowboat; a ship or boat.

2. an airship.

3. a hollow or concave utensil, as a cup, bowl, pitcher, or vase, used for holding liquids or other contents.

4. Anatomy, Zoology. a tube or duct, as an artery or vein, containing or conveying blood or some other body fluid.

5. Botany. a duct formed in the xylem, composed of connected cells that have lost their intervening partitions, that conducts water and mineral nutrients.

6. a person regarded as a holder or receiver of something, especially something nonmaterial.

   a vessel of grace;

   a vessel of wrath.

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vessel British  

/ ˈvɛsəl /

noun

1. any object used as a container, esp for a liquid

2. a passenger or freight-carrying ship, boat, etc

3. an aircraft, esp an airship

4. anatomy a tubular structure that transports such body fluids as blood and lymph

5. botany a tubular element of xylem tissue consisting of a row of cells in which the connecting cell walls have broken down

6. rare a person regarded as an agent or vehicle for some purpose or quality

   she was the vessel of the Lord

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vessel Scientific  

/ vĕs′əl /

1. A blood vessel.

2. A long, continuous column made of the lignified walls of dead vessel elements, along which water flows in the xylem of angiosperms.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unvesseled
  adjective
• vesseled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vessels
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vessel

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French va(i)ssel, vessel, from Latin vāscellum, from vās “vessel” ( cf. vase) + -cellum, diminutive suffix

Explanation

What do a canoe, a soda can, and your arteries have in common? Each one is a type of vessel. A vessel can be a ship, a container for holding liquids, or a tube that transports blood throughout your body. Vessel has a number of different meanings, yet all of them relate in some way to liquids and transportation. This relationship in meaning has existed in language for a long time; the word vessel comes from the Latin word, vascellum, which also means both “vase” and “ship.” The use of the word vessel in reference to “blood vessels” came about in English during the 14th century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vessel vessels

A navy vessel and other ships rushed in Wednesday to rescue over 100 people from a ferry on fire off the tourist island of Bali, officials said, in the second such incident in days.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

It adds that the vessel "is no longer transiting to Iran".

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

The U.S. official said the ship appeared to be attempting to transfer its crew to another civilian vessel after the attack.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Adnoc L&S has committed about $2.3 billion to vessel acquisitions and newbuilds so far this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The only light inside the vessel was provided by a piece of fungus-covered rotting wood, which gave off a soft glow known as foxfire.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

President Trump has extended for an additional 90 days a waiver of the Jones Act, a century-old law that requires shipments between U.S. ports to be made with American-made vessels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Myokines also allow muscle to communicate with the liver, fat tissue, blood vessels, bone and even the brain.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

A Home Office spokesperson said this latest incident demonstrated the "reckless and dangerous tactics employed by criminal gangs... who continue to put lives at risk by cramming ever greater numbers of people onto unseaworthy vessels".

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

But water levels along much of the Rhine in Germany would be too low for vessels to pass.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

That familiar holy terror tore through her blood vessels and wrapped a vise grip around her heart.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

Related Words

• barge
• boat
• craft
• liner
• ocean liner
• tanker