Ves"sel, n. [OF. vessel,
veissel, vaissel, vaissiel, F. vascellum, dim.
of vasculum, dim. of vas a vessel. Cf. Vascular,
Vase.] 1. A hollow or concave utensil for
holding anything; a hollow receptacle of any kind, as a hogshead, a barrel,
a firkin, a bottle, a kettle, a cup, a bowl, etc.
[They drank] out of these noble vessels.
Chaucer.
2. A general name for any hollow structure made to
float upon the water for purposes of navigation; especially, one that is
larger than a common rowboat; as, a war vessel; a passenger
vessel.
[He] began to build a vessel of huge
bulk.
Milton.
3. Fig.: A person regarded as receiving or
containing something; esp. (Script.), one into whom something is
conceived as poured, or in whom something is stored for use; as,
vessels of wrath or mercy.
He is a chosen vessel unto me.
Acts
ix. 15.
[The serpent] fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in
whom
To enter.
Milton.
4. (Anat.) Any tube or canal in which the
blood or other fluids are contained, secreted, or circulated, as the
arteries, veins, lymphatics, etc.
5. (Bot.) A continuous tube formed from
superposed large cylindrical or prismatic cells (tracheæ), which have
lost their intervening partitions, and are usually marked with dots, pits,
rings, or spirals by internal deposition of secondary membranes; a
duct.
Acoustic vessels. See under Acoustic.
-- Weaker vessel, a woman; -- now applied
humorously. "Giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker
vessel." 1 Peter iii. 7. "You are the weaker vessel."
Shak.
Ves"sel, v. t. To put into a
vessel. [Obs.] Bacon.
Ves"sel, n. [OF. vessel,
veissel, vaissel, vaissiel, F. vascellum, dim.
of vasculum, dim. of vas a vessel. Cf. Vascular,
Vase.] 1. A hollow or concave utensil for
holding anything; a hollow receptacle of any kind, as a hogshead, a barrel,
a firkin, a bottle, a kettle, a cup, a bowl, etc.
[They drank] out of these noble vessels.
Chaucer.
2. A general name for any hollow structure made to
float upon the water for purposes of navigation; especially, one that is
larger than a common rowboat; as, a war vessel; a passenger
vessel.
[He] began to build a vessel of huge
bulk.
Milton.
3. Fig.: A person regarded as receiving or
containing something; esp. (Script.), one into whom something is
conceived as poured, or in whom something is stored for use; as,
vessels of wrath or mercy.
He is a chosen vessel unto me.
Acts
ix. 15.
[The serpent] fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in
whom
To enter.
Milton.
4. (Anat.) Any tube or canal in which the
blood or other fluids are contained, secreted, or circulated, as the
arteries, veins, lymphatics, etc.
5. (Bot.) A continuous tube formed from
superposed large cylindrical or prismatic cells (tracheæ), which have
lost their intervening partitions, and are usually marked with dots, pits,
rings, or spirals by internal deposition of secondary membranes; a
duct.
Acoustic vessels. See under Acoustic.
-- Weaker vessel, a woman; -- now applied
humorously. "Giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker
vessel." 1 Peter iii. 7. "You are the weaker vessel."
Shak.
Ves"sel, v. t. To put into a
vessel. [Obs.] Bacon.
