vessel
Vessel (noun) means a ship, boat, or other craft built for travelling on water (or, more loosely, air or space). Example: “The fishing vessel returned to harbour just before the storm hit.”
How to use vessel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA general word for a ship, or for any container that holds liquid — also used for tubes that carry fluid in the body.
Word forms
vesseled past tense, vesselled past tense, vessels plural, vessels singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The fishing _____ returned to harbour just before the storm hit.
Etymology
From Old French vaissel, from Late Latin vascellum, "small container" — a diminutive of vas, "vase".
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “vessel” mean?
The word “vessel” means a ship, boat, or other craft built for travelling on water (or, more loosely, air or space). In plain terms, a general word for a ship, or for any container that holds liquid — also used for tubes that carry fluid in the body.
How do you pronounce “vessel”?
“Vessel” is pronounced VEH-suhl (/ˈvɛsəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “vessel” in a sentence?
Here is “vessel” used in a sentence: “The fishing vessel returned to harbour just before the storm hit.”
What part of speech is “vessel”?
“Vessel” is a noun.
Where does the word “vessel” come from?
The word “vessel” comes from Late Latin. From Old French vaissel, from Late Latin vascellum, "small container" — a diminutive of vas, "vase".
Is “vessel” a common word?
“Vessel” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “vessel” have?
“Vessel” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a ship, boat, or other craft built for travelling on water (or, more loosely, air or space).
What is the difference between a "vessel" and a "ship"?
A ship is one kind of vessel; "vessel" is the broader term covering boats, ships, and other craft built to travel on water. Every ship is a vessel, but not every vessel — such as a small boat or canoe — is called a ship.
When is "vessel" used to mean a container?
"Vessel" describes a hollow container such as a bowl, cup, or bottle used to hold a liquid or other substance. This sense is common in cooking, science, and formal or religious writing rather than casual speech.
Is "vessel" a formal or informal word?
"Vessel" is fairly formal or technical. In everyday conversation people usually say "boat," "ship," "bowl," or "container," reserving "vessel" for nautical, legal, scientific, or literary contexts.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include vessel: