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
Cite this Entry
“Vessel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vessel. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.
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