Unguentarium

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small container or vessel specifically designed for holding ointments or salves used for medicinal or cosmetic purposes
2. A type of jar or receptacle used in ancient times to store and apply various unguents or similar substances for healing or personal care
3. An archaeological artifact typically shaped as a small flask, intended for the preservation of oils or balms, often linked to historical practices of anointing

Etymology: "Unguentarium" is a Latin word, borrowed into English essentially unchanged, and it names the small glass or pottery vessels that ancient Mediterranean peoples used to hold perfumed oils and ointments. The Latin noun "unguentarium" was formed from "unguentum", meaning ointment or salve, which itself grew from "unguere", to anoint or smear. The suffix "-arium" marks a container or place where something is kept, the same ending found in words like "aquarium" and "planetarium". The term is a useful reminder that the ancient world's containers often carry the Latin name of their contents. Latin writers used "unguentarium" for these flasks, so English took over the label rather than inventing its own, and it is used today by archaeologists describing the bottles found in tombs and excavations.

Synonyms: perfume bottle, ointment container, vial