vessel

noun

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ves·sel | \ ˈve-səl

Definition of vessel

1a : a container (such as a cask, bottle, kettle, cup, or bowl) for holding something

b : a person into whom some quality (such as grace) is infused a child of light, a true vessel of the Lord— H. J. Laski

2 : a watercraft bigger than a rowboat especially : ship sense 1

3a : a tube or canal (such as an artery) in which a body fluid is contained and conveyed or circulated

b : a conducting tube in the xylem of a vascular plant formed by the fusion and loss of end walls of a series of cells

Synonyms Example Sentences Phrases Containing vessel Learn More About vessel

Examples of vessel in a Sentence

a new ocean liner that claims to be the largest commercial vessel afloat any vessel that is buoyant and steerable can be entered in the annual race down the river

Recent Examples on the Web The two men struggle for survival in a spiral of violence and death, where at any moment German submarines may attack their vessel. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 10 May 2022 The ship became stuck outside the shipping channel and did not block marine navigation, unlike last year’s high-profile grounding in the Suez Canal of its sister vessel, the Ever Given. — NBC News, 18 Apr. 2022 The ship was outside the shipping channel and has not been blocking navigation, unlike last year’s high-profile grounding in the Suez Canal of its sister vessel, the Ever Given, which disrupted the global supply chain for days. — Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2022 The ship became stuck outside the shipping channel and did not block marine navigation, unlike last year's high-profile grounding in the Suez Canal of its sister vessel, the Ever Given. — CBS News, 17 Apr. 2022 The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that its Black Sea Fleet flagship vessel, Moskva, sunk after losing its stability when it was towed to a port. — Bynadine El-bawab Andcatherine Thorbecke, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2022 When Guido Krass, founder of Australian shipyard SilverYachts, envisaged his 280-foot sports activity vessel Bold, a floating Range Rover is what came to mind. — Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2022 Soon after the show first got started in 2005, David Lethin, owner of the Aleutian Ballad, said he got paid $10,000 for putting his vessel and crew on the show during the king crab season and an additional $10,000 for the snow crab harvest. — Loren Holmes, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Apr. 2022 The officers took the boaters and towed their vessel to the Harbor police dock at Shelter Island. — David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2022 See More

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