Vase

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /vɑːz/

Definitions

1. A decorative object primarily crafted from materials like glass or ceramics, designed to hold cut flowers or serve as an aesthetic display piece
2. An ornamental container often made from glass or pottery, used for holding flowers, enhancing decor, or serving as a focal point in a room
3. A beautifully crafted receptacle typically fashioned from materials such as ceramic or glass, intended to showcase flowers or serve as an artistic accent

Etymology: The English word came to us from Middle French "vase," which in turn borrowed the Latin "vās," meaning a vessel or container of any kind. That Latin root is the same one behind "vas," a term that English kept as a separate, more technical word for a duct or vessel in the body. The two forms are doublets: they split apart in the journey from Latin into French and English, and then English took both, so one descends through the everyday route and the other stayed closer to its Latin shape. Latin "vās" was itself a broad word for any receptacle, from a jar to a cup or a pot, so the shape that now holds flowers is only one narrow use of an older, much wider idea of a container. The sense of an ornamental vessel for displaying blooms narrowed out of that general meaning over time.

Synonyms: container, urn, receptacle