beaker

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noun bea·ker \ ˈbē-kər \

Definition of beaker

1 :a large drinking cup that has a wide mouth and is sometimes supported on a standard

2 :a deep widemouthed thin-walled vessel usually with a lip for pouring that is used especially in science laboratories

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Recent Examples of beaker from the Web

Students used beakers and directed heat to complete experiments.

— karie angell luc, chicagotribune.com, "Students explore crime scene investigation at Union Ridge," 26 May 2017
But unlike Jack’s beaker filled with magic potion, in this cluttered drama there's no chemical reaction.

— sheri linden, The Hollywood Reporter, "‘96 Souls’: Film Review," 26 May 2017
A new exhibit at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center (through Aug. 21) displays some of the classics: an IBM Selectric typewriter, a Chemex beaker-style coffee maker, an Olivetti portable typewriter, a chrome lounge chair designed by Mies van der Rohe.

— robert taylor, The Mercury News, "Industrial art subject of Cantor and de Young shows," 8 May 2017
A single light is on, in the bathroom, illuminating a beaker on a hot plate.

— reeves wiedeman, Popular Mechanics, "Inside the FBI's Remote Bomb-Test Training Range," 16 Mar. 2017
Most recently, Hoole and her fellow researchers identified an array of pollens that clung to a clay beaker found inside Ava’s grave.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Pollens Found in Grave of Bronze Age Woman Paint Picture of Bygone Scotland," 9 Mar. 2017
John’s wort and meadowsweet—on the beaker in her grave.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Pollens Found in Grave of Bronze Age Woman Paint Picture of Bygone Scotland," 9 Mar. 2017
Given his definition of personhood, those 5 million outlaws may actually be in liquid form in a small glass beaker.

— garrison keillor, The Mercury News, "Keillor: Those 5 million outlaw voters," 1 Feb. 2017
Shaped as an atom, a beaker, a test tube, and a flask, quite a bit of thought and design went into choosing the shapes.

— jenn tylbon, WIRED, "A Riddle of Science and Cookies," 8 Dec. 2010

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beaker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of beaker

Middle English biker, borrowed from Old Norse bikarr, probably borrowed from a continental Germanic form akin to Old Saxon bikeri, borrowed from early Medieval Latin bicarium, variant of bacarium — more at basin

Note: As noted by the Middle English Dictionary, the modern English form probably reflects influence of Middle Dutch beker.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

BEAKER Defined for English Language Learners

beaker

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noun

Definition of beaker for English Language Learners

: a wide glass with a lip for pouring that is used especially in chemistry for holding and measuring liquids
: a large drinking cup with a wide opening that is typically made of plastic or metal