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Showing results for ampulla. Search instead for ampullar.
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 Abbot of Saint-Remi, escorted by two hundred knights, brought the sacred ampulla to the cathedral of Rheims, and the archbishop anointed the royal pair.

From Women of Mediæval France Woman: in all ages and in all countries Vol. 5 (of 10) by Butler, Pierce

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.