vial

American  

[vahy-uhl, vahyl] / ˈvaɪ əl, vaɪl /

noun

1. Also a small container, as of glass, for holding liquids.

   a vial of rare perfume; a vial of medicine.

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verb (used with object)

vialed, vialing, vialled, vialling

1. to put into or keep in a vial.

idioms

1. pour out vials of wrath, to wreak vengeance or express anger.

   In her preface she pours out vials of wrath on her detractors.

vial British  

/ ˈvaɪəl, vaɪl /

noun

1. a less common variant of phial

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Etymology

Origin of vial

1300–50; Middle English viole, variant of fiole phial

Explanation

The word vial sounds like another word, "vile" (making them homonyms), but they mean completely different things. A vial is just a small glass bottle that contains a chemical or drug. "Vile" is evil. One of the coolest things about the English language is how specific you can get. For example, got a small glass bottle made for carrying chemicals or drugs? There's a word for that! That word is vial. There are bottles for soda and bottles for beer, but if what you're carrying is drugs, chemicals, or similar substances, you're carrying them in a vial.

Example Sentences

Soon-Shiong also referred to Anktiva as a “single jab,” later adding that it was a “little vial that you inject subcutaneously.”

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Security Council, where he held up a small vial of white powder to illustrate the alleged danger of Saddam Hussein’s biological weapons.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

Ezugwu also returned with a vial to find Ifunanya had died.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

Shalom rubbed the liquid, stored in a small vial, into my scalp with his gloved fingertips.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

I come back and point it at the first vial.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• bottle
• flask