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carafe

/kəˈræf/

/kəˈrɑf/

Other forms: carafes

Wine is often served in a carafe, a flask, usually of glass or metal, with a wide mouth. It usually presents a more elegant way to serve than using the wine's original bottle or — heavens! — box.

While carafes have been used since very early times, the word itself came through Spanish, Italian, and French, probably from the Arabic word gharrafa "ladle, scoop." It entered English by 1786.

Definitions of carafe
  1. noun
    a bottle with a stopper; for serving wine or water
    synonyms: decanter
    see moresee less
    type of:
    bottle
    a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
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