vessel

noun

ves·​sel ˈve-səl 

1

a

: 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

3

a

: 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 of vessel

• ship
• boat

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

Srebnick, Pino’s lead attorney, and his team contend the bottles and cans also came from other boats that were at the sandbar, not just their client’s vessel. —David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026

In the bedroom, a Noguchi Akari lantern and antique French column topped with one of Gibbon’s ceramic vessels create a moment of interest without disrupting the room’s sense of calm. —Kristen Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026

The second discovery was made during the research vessel RV Dagon's expedition to the Tonga Trench, the second-largest trench in the world after the Mariana, in 2024. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 12 June 2026

This ocean region is known to host numerous species of beaked whales, and fossil skulls of such whales have been discovered nearby, snagged by trawlers or long-line fishing vessels in deep-sea regions off Iberia, South Africa and the Kerguelen Islands. —Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 12 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin vascellum, diminutive of Latin vas vase, vessel

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing vessel

• blood vessel

Rhymes for vessel

• cresol
• decile
• nestle
• pestle
• sessile
• trestle
• wessel
• wrestle
• subsessile

Kids Definition

vessel

noun

ves·​sel ˈves-əl 

1

: a hollow utensil (as a cup or bowl) for holding something

2

: a craft bigger than a rowboat for navigation of the water

especially : ship entry 1 sense 1

3

a

: a tube or canal (as a vein or artery) in which a body fluid is contained and carried or circulated

b

: a tube in the xylem of a vascular plant through which water passes

Medical Definition

vessel

noun

ves·​sel ˈves-əl 

: a tube or canal (as an artery, vein, or lymphatic) in which a body fluid (as blood or lymph) is contained and conveyed or circulated