flask

/flæsk/

/flɑsk/

Other forms: flasks

A flask is a small container that holds a liquid. Most flasks have a squarish body and a small neck for drinking or pouring. Don't try sneaking a flask into your tube sock.

There are several different kinds of flasks, including a "hip flask," small enough to fit in a pocket, for carrying and surreptitiously sipping alcoholic beverages. Chemists use another type of flask in the laboratory, which has a wide bottom and a small mouth and is made of glass. And in Britain, a flask is also a vacuum-sealed container that keeps drinks hot, usually called a "Thermos" in the US.

Definitions of flask

1. noun

   bottle that has a narrow neck
   types:

   ampulla

   a flask that has two handles; used by Romans for wines or oils

   canteen

   a flask for carrying water; used by soldiers or travelers

   Erlenmeyer flask

   a conical flask with a wide base and narrow neck

   hipflask, pocket flask

   a flask that holds spirits

   round-bottom flask

   a spherical flask with a narrow neck

   vacuum bottle, vacuum flask

   flask with double walls separated by vacuum; used to maintain substances at high or low temperatures

   Dewar, Dewar flask

   vacuum flask that holds liquid air or helium for scientific experiments

   thermos, thermos bottle, thermos flask

   vacuum flask that preserves temperature of hot or cold drinks

   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
2. noun

   the quantity a flask will hold
   synonyms: flaskful

   type of:

   containerful

   the quantity that a container will hold