phial

English

Alternative forms

• vial

Etymology

From Middle English fiole, from Old French fiole, from Latin phiala (“a broad, flat, shallow cup or bowl”), from Ancient Greek φιάλη (phiálē). Doublet of vial.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfaɪəl/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪəl
• Homophone: file

Noun

phial (plural phials)

1. A glass vessel or bottle, especially a small bottle for medicines.
   • 1921 May 20, Harding, Warren, Remarks of the President in Presenting to Madam Curie a Gift of Radium from the American People‎^[1], Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, OCLC 42193044, page 4:

     In testimony of the affection of the American people, of their confidence in your scientific work, and of their earnest wish that your genius and energy may receive all encouragement to carry forward your efforts for the advance of science and conquest of disease, I have been commissioned to present to you this little phial of radium.

Synonyms

• vial

Coordinate terms

• test tube

Translations

glass vessel — see vial

Verb

phial (third-person singular simple present phials, present participle phialling or (US) phialing, simple past and past participle phialled or (US) phialed)

1. (transitive) To put or keep in, or as in, a phial.

References

• “phial” in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “phial”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

Anagrams

• Phila.

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Middle English

Noun

phial

1. Alternative form of fiole