vase

noun

US usually

ˈvās 

Canadian usually and US also

ˈvāz 

British usually, Canadian also, and US sometimes

ˈväz 

: a usually round vessel of greater depth than width used chiefly as an ornament or for holding flowers

vaselike

ˈvās-ˌlīk 

Canadian usually and US also ˈvāz-;

British usually, Canadian also, and US sometimes ˈväz-

adjective

Examples of vase in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Among the vases of varying shapes and sizes (15 Attic vessels and six Corinthian, according to the Jerusalem Post) was a bronze female figure. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

The bottle can be refilled with any fragrance in the collection in stores — the refills will, of course, be housed in Lalique vases. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Today, her work takes cues from antique phoenix-tail vases, ginger jars, flasks, and other traditional Chinese silhouettes, exploring the intersection of ceramics and globalization. — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 13 Oct. 2026

Williams is annoyed and wants order while Kirke is hardly paying attention and lugs vases of flowers through her home. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin vās "container, vessel," going back to Italic *wāss- of obscure origin

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vase

• ace
• base
• brace
• case
• chace
• dace
• face
• grace
• lace
• mace
• pace
• place

Video

How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

Depending on where you're from, you might pronounce 'vase' in one of three main ways. Is one of them considered "standard"? Peter Sokolowski explains.

TRANSCRIPT

When someone brings you flowers and asks if you have anything to put them in, you might say "Yes, there's a vās in the cabinet."
 
That's how you'll say it if you're like most Americans, anyway. If you're like most Canadians or some Americans, you'll say vāz. But if you're British or like some Canadians or even a few Americans, you'll say väz.
 
Vās, vāz, väz.
 
They're actually all fine, no matter where you come from. However you say it, the important thing is this: when someone brings you flowers, be gracious and put them in water.

Kids Definition

vase

noun

ˈvās  ˈvāz 

: an often round container of greater depth than width used chiefly for ornament or for flowers