Flask Meaning

/ˈflɑːsk/
C1

Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Listen pronunciation

nounA narrow-necked vessel of metal or glass, used for various purposes; as of sheet metal, to carry gunpowder in; or of wrought iron, to contain quicksilver; or of glass, to heat water in, etc.

nounA container used to discreetly carry a small amount of a hard alcoholic beverage; a pocket flask.

No, Yumi put it in a thermos flask and brought it into the club room.
Tom took a swig from the flask.
Tom opened a desk drawer and pulled out a flask.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The scientist poured the chemical into a narrow-necked glass ____ for the experiment.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The scientist poured the blue liquid into a glass ____ for the next stage of the experiment.

From Middle English flask, flaske (“case, cask, keg”), from Old English flasce, flaxe (“bottle, flask”) and Medieval Latin flascō (“bottle”); from Frankish *flaskā; both from Proto-Germanic *flaskǭ (“braid-covered bottle, wicker-enclosed jug”), from Proto-Indo-European *ploḱ-skō (“flat”), or from Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ- (“to weave”). Doublet of fiasco, flacon, and flagon. Related to Dutch fles; also German Low German Flaske, Fless, German Flasche, Danish flaske; also Lithuanian plókščias, Czech ploský, Albanian flashkët. The sense “laboratory glassware” is from Italian fiasco, and the sense “container for holding a casting mold” is from Middle French flasque (“powder flask”), itself from Old Spanish flasco, frasco, both from Late Latin above.

"Over the years, the railway has been the safest way to move hazardous chemicals, radioactive waste, fuel for Royal Navy nuclear submarines and imported fuel for reprocessing, as well as flasks containing fuel rods to and from British power stations." — 2023 December 27, Ben Jones, “Inside Sellafield... by rail”, in RAIL, number 999, page 21:

Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words

CEFR Practice Quiz
The scientist poured the chemical into a narrow-necked glass ____ for the experiment.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The scientist poured the blue liquid into a glass ____ for the next stage of the experiment.

Expand Your Vocabulary with LexUp

Master English words using smart flashcards, play exciting word rounds, and compete with other learners worldwide.

Browse CEFR Words Alphabetically