Flagon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈflæɡ(ə)n/

Definitions

1. A large container, typically made of glass or metal, used for holding and serving liquids such as wine or beer
2. A sizable vessel, often crafted from materials like metal or ceramic, utilized for storing and pouring beverages such as ale or wine
3. A substantial jug or pitcher, commonly designed to hold various drinks, mainly used for serving substances like spirits or wine

Etymology: The most striking part of this word's story is that its ancestor was a bottle woven in straw. The Proto-Germanic root "flehtaną" meant "to braid, plait," and the vessels it named were probably wrapped or plaited in a protective casing of straw or plaited material, which is why a word for a container ends up tied to the act of weaving. That Germanic word passed into Frankish as "flaska," then into Late Latin as "flascō," meaning a bottle or a portable wine barrel. From there it travelled through Old and Middle French, where "flacon" meant a flask, and into Middle English as "flagon." The same ancestor produced three other English words: "flacon," "flask," and "fiasco." The last of these came into English via Italian and once meant a bottle, before taking on its modern sense of a failure.

Synonyms: jug, pitcher, container