vial

noun

vi·​al ˈvī(-ə)l 

: a small closed or closable vessel especially for liquids

Examples of vial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the 20 1-gram vials of pentobarbital that were acquired in September 2024 had an April 2025 expiration date, records show. —Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025

Authorities also found vials of nitromethane, a colorless, organic compound used in explosive devices, the court records showed. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 7 Oct. 2025

Officers spotted multiple suspicious items during the arrest, including vials of liquid and possible fireworks inside the suspect’s tent, MPD said. —Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025

Switching over to single-dose, thimerosal-free vials eats up far more space in refrigerators, forcing his practice to place more frequent orders of fewer, more expensive doses. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fiole, viole, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin fiola, alteration of Latin phiala — more at phial

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vial

• dial
• rial
• thiol
• trial
• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• sensorial
• supervisorial

Kids Definition

vial

noun

vi·​al ˈvī(-ə)l 

: a small container (as for medicines) made usually of glass or plastic

Medical Definition

vial

noun

vi·​al ˈvī(-ə)l 

: a small closed or closable vessel especially for liquids

called also phial