bell jar

American  

noun

1. a bell-shaped glass jar or cover for protecting delicate instruments, bric-a-brac, or the like, or for containing gases or a vacuum in chemical experiments.

---

bell jar British  

noun

1. a bell-shaped glass cover used to protect flower arrangements or fragile ornaments or to cover apparatus in experiments, esp to prevent gases escaping

---

Etymology

Origin of bell jar

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

When I'm in the bell jar, as I majorly have been for the last two months, the more I sit around and just wallow in sadness, the worse I feel.

From Salon

He tapped the bell again, and the train of ivy returned, now holding a clear bell jar and in it, the red Quassia plant.

From Literature

A single branch of cotton housed in a bell jar atop a plinth, it’s also high-level trolling at its finest.

From New York Times

Again: What works within the humid environment under a bell jar or inside a narrow-mouthed lab flask is quite different from what flourishes in an open bowl or an uncovered fish tank.

From Seattle Times

To Esther, madness is the descent of a stifling bell jar over her head.

From New York Times