beaker

noun

bea·​ker ˈbē-kər 

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

Examples of beaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There were beakers everywhere, full of chemical reagents such as sodium hydrosulfite and inorganic bases. —Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026

Cabinets for storage of glassware, and a general clutter of beakers, wiring, and machinery. —Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026

Think of when oil and water are put in a beaker together. —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026

Inside a single-story brick building in Sorrento Mesa is a small lab sprinkled with beakers, test tubes and incubators that is worth billions of dollars. —Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for beaker

• meeker
• seeker
• sneaker
• speaker
• weaker
• loudspeaker

Kids Definition

beaker

noun

bea·​ker ˈbē-kər 

: a deep cup or glass with a wide mouth and usually a lip for pouring

Medical Definition

beaker

noun

bea·​ker ˈbē-kər 

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