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

• boat
• keel
• ship

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

Capsized 27-foot gold Chris-Craft vessel in Lake Tahoe. —Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025

Fortune The shipping industry was on high alert Sunday amid fears that Tehran could target commercial vessels in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 June 2025

Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said multiple other people were rescued on Lake Tahoe throughout the day Saturday, including those paddleboarding and on a vessel in distress. —Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 23 June 2025

At the time, the vessel carried 22 people: 12 passengers and 10 crew. —David Chiu, People.com, 22 June 2025

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