beaker

noun bea·ker \ ˈbē-kər \

|Updated on: 2 Jul 2018

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

Back in the cold room are three beakers containing seawater mixed with the same oil and dispersant released in the Deepwater Horizon spill.

— joanna klein, New York Times, "This Coral Must Die," 25 June 2018
The test administer, Jason Shoemake, noticed Fulton pouring the contents of a small bottle into the beaker the player was expected to fill with his own sample.

— ross dellenger, SI.com, "The Curious Case of Kristian Fulton: A Two-Year Ban, a Last-Ditch Appeal and a Spotlight on the NCAA," 13 June 2018
The ship will also have a Test Kitchen restaurant, designed by Concrete Amsterdam, that is made to look like a laboratory, with a periodic table in the entrance and test tubes, beakers and flasks inside.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "Virgin promised its ships will be unlike any other cruise. Here are the first images | Miami Herald," 17 May 2018
Tuesday is May 1, otherwise known as Labor Day or International Workers’ Day, and Google is marking the occasion with a Doodle featuring the tools of various trades — from hardhats and shovels to mixing bowls, books and laboratory beakers.

— eli meixler, Time, "On International Workers' Day, Here's the History Behind the Holiday Celebrating Laborers Around the World," 1 May 2018
The rose buds—opening almost like peonies—gather like a headdress, a crown that grows out of and tops off the beaker that contains and nourishes it.

— willard spiegelman, WSJ, "Beauty in Full Bloom," 13 Apr. 2018
Scrape the mixture into a mini chopper or the beaker of an immersion blender and set aside to cool briefly.

— adam ried, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipes: Vinaigrettes and dressings to dress up meals," 1 June 2018
But don't expect fantastical concoctions with fancy bitters served in beakers on a bed of dry ice.

— nneka mcguire, chicagotribune.com, "Hungry for authenticity? Consider calling Humboldt Park home," 2 July 2017
In a cavernous building in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, just steps from the Mississippi River, environmental engineer Clint Willson lifts a beaker filled with dark plastic crumbs.

— ernie mastroianni, Discover Magazine, "A Mighty Model," 15 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

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