Ampoules

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small sealed vial used to contain and preserve a sample, often found in laboratories
2. A glass container that protects its contents from air and contamination, commonly used for pharmaceuticals
3. A hermetically sealed capsule designed to safely store liquids or gases for medical or scientific use

Etymology: "Ampoules" is the plural of "ampoule," which comes from French, where the singular once meant a blister or bubble as well as a small flask. Behind it lies the Latin "ampulla," a round, bulb-bodied bottle that was also used for a swelling or blister on the skin, a resemblance the flask's shape made natural. French still keeps the bubble and the bottle together: "ampoule" can also mean a light bulb, with the glass globe as the common thread. English adopted the word for a small, sealed glass container holding a single dose of medicine, and the sealing is the point, since the glass is closed so nothing can reach the contents.

Synonyms: vials, containers, capsules, bottles, flasks

Antonyms: open containers, exposed substances, bulk, loose, spill