beaker

noun

bea·​ker ˈbē-kər 

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

Examples of beaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Inside a single-story brick building in Sorrento Mesa is a small lab sprinkled with beakers, test tubes and incubators that is worth billions of dollars. —Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025

His team’s experimental setup was simple: in a beaker of water, the researchers introduced bubbles composed of methane and air. —Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2025

Invisible pollutants unleashed To simulate real-world conditions, the researchers placed unused masks in beakers of ultra-pure water and left them at room temperature for 24 hours. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025

Drink options include the Green Dread – a bright green gin concoction served from a beaker – and the Bloodsucker, a rum and blackberry liqueur drink served with a dollop of dark red jello meant to look like a glob of blood. —Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for beaker

• meeker
• seeker
• sneaker
• speaker
• weaker
• loudspeaker

Kids Definition

beaker

noun

bea·​ker ˈbē-kər 

: a deep cup or glass with a wide mouth and usually a lip for pouring

Medical Definition

beaker

noun

bea·​ker ˈbē-kər 

: a deep widemouthed thin-walled vessel usually with a lip for pouring that is used especially in science laboratories