Ampul

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tiny sealed flask primarily used for containing liquids or substances related to medicine or chemistry
2. A small glass vessel hermetically closed and designed to hold liquid substances, often for medical or chemical uses
3. A tiny, closed glass container used to store precise amounts of liquids, especially for pharmaceutical or laboratory purposes

Etymology: The word "ampul" arrived in English by way of Old French "ampule", which in turn came from Latin "ampulla". The Latin term originally meant a round-bellied bottle or flask, and it was used for vessels of many kinds, from oil and wine containers to the flasks of the ancient world. Its earlier origin is unknown, so the trail ends at the Latin word itself. The sense has narrowed over the centuries. What began as a general container for liquids became, in English, a specific small sealed glass vial, the kind that holds a single dose of medicine or a sample in a laboratory. The glass is sealed by melting the neck shut, which is why the container must be broken open to use its contents.