Forms: α. 4, 6 vessele (4 wessele), 4–5 vesselle (5 wess-), vessale; 4 vescel, vessil, 4– vessel (4–5 wessel, uessel, 4, 6 fessel), 5–7 vessell (wessell, 5 fessell); 4 vesseal, 5 veseal, vessall. β. Sc. 5 vyscele, weschele, 5–6 wesch-, veschale, 5 wes(s)chael(le; 5 wischeall, 5–6 veschall (5 wesch-, vessche-), 6 weschail; 5–6 wesch-, 5–7 veschell (6 vessch-), 6 veshel, 7–8 veshell. γ. 4–5, 7 vessayle, 5 veassayle, vessaile. δ. 5 vayssel, vaissel. [a. (1) AF. and OF. vessel, OF. vesseal, vaissel, vaisseau, etc. (mod.F. vaisseau) masc., = Pr. vaisel, Sp. vasillo, It. vascello:—L. vascellum small vase or urn, ship, etc., dim. of vās VAS; (2) AF. and OF. vessele, veselle, OF. vasselle, wasselle, vaissele, etc. (mod.F. vaisselle) fem., repr. the L. pl. vascella and used in a collective sense.]
† 1. In collective singular: Vessels or utensils for the table or for use in the household, esp. those made of gold or silver; = PLATE sb. 15. Obs.
Freq. from c. 1300 to c. 1600.
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 6145. Fra þis folk … þe folk of israel to boru Asked silueren vessel [v.r. wessel] sere.
13[?]. Coer de L., 1488. Now, styward, I warne the, Bye us vessel gret plente, Dysschys, cuppys, and sawsers, Bolles, treyes, and platers.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xx. 220. Alle the Vesselle, that men ben served with, in the Halle or in Chambres, ben of precious Stones.
1420. E. E. Wills (1882), 46. A dosen of peutre vessell. Ibid. (1424), 56. All my seluere vessell.
1477. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 184/2. That Sterlyng Halpeny nor Ferthyng, shuld not be molten for Vessell.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xx. 29. All his Vessell was of golde and siluer, pottis, basons, ewers, dysshes, flagons, barels, cuppes, and all other thyngis.
1587. Harrison, England, III. xi., in Holinshed, I. 237/2. Such furniture of houshold of this mettall [sc. pewter], as we commonlie call by the name of vessell, is sold vsuallie by the garnish.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., 192. They shamed now to drinke out of earthen vessell.
1613–8. Daniel, Coll. Hist. Eng. (1826), 107. He … made restitution of much Church vessell, that had beene taken and sold for ransome.
1664. Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 148. Have I … layd them in mine own beds, mine own hangings, and treated them continually in mine own vessel?
β. 1375. Barbour, Bruce, XI. 117. All thai … that chargit war Of palȝeonys and veschall vith-all.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xviii. (Mary Egypt), 1094. Þan godis blud & his body put in to weschale, þare-to worthy.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., II. xii. 1073. Golde, siluir and wesschaelle, Cleynly made of gud metaille.
1490. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 132. For the caryage of the siluer vesscheall to Lythgow again Payce.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, I. ix. 109. Siluer plait … was brocht To set on buirdis; and weschail forgit of gold.
1549. Compl. Scotl., xvii. 145. Coppir, bras, and yrn and vthir mettellis var meltit to mak vtensel veschel necessair to serue and houshald.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 337. Costlie beding, weschell and naiperie according for ane king.
1627. [see sense 7].
γ, δ. 1474. Caxton, Chesse, II. v. (1883), 69. He sayde that hit was better and more noble thynge to shyne in good maners than in vayssel.
1605. Tryall Chev., IV. i. And so, sir, you that walk in pewter vessayle, like one of the worthyes, will you be rul’d by me?
[1820. Scott, Monast., xvi. Every bit of vassail and silver work have we been spoiled of since Pinkie Cleuch.]
b. dial. (See quots.)
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., 375. Vessel,… all the plates, dishes, and culinary utensils which are put into requisition during a meal. ‘Wash the vessel up.’ Never applied to a tea-service or to glasses.
1893. Wilts. Gloss., 176. To wash up the vessel is to wash up plates, dishes, &c.
2. Any article designed to serve as a receptacle for a liquid or other substance, usually one of circular section and made of some durable material; esp. a utensil of this nature in domestic use, employed in connection with the preparation or serving of food or drink, and usually of a size suitable for carrying by hand.
Often with defining term preceding (sometimes hyphened), indicating its special use, as dairy, drinking, kitchen, milk-, wine-vessel. See also AIR-, STEAM-VESSEL 1.
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 13395. Iesus badd þam þan o-nan Fil þair gret wessels [Fairf. vessels] o stan O water clere.
1340. Ayenb., 235. Þe þinges þet byeþ y-halȝed, ase þe uesseles y-blissed, þe chalis, þe copereaus.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Monk’s T., 204. Goth, bringeth forth the vessealx … The which my fader in his prosperite Out of the temple of Jerusalem byraft.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xi. 43. A vessell of gold full of manna.
c. 1450. MS. Douce 55, fol. 11. Steep hem with sugre water … in to a feyre fessell.
c. 1471. Fortescue, Wks. (1869), 458. Oftyntyms his Highnesse must and will bye … Wessels, Westments, and other Ornaments for his Chapel.
1526. Tindale, Luke v. 37. Also no man poureth newe wyne into olde vessels.
1550. N. C. Wills (Surtees, 1908), 208. Such vessels, barkes, and other thinges as belonges to the tanners craft.
1577. Harrison, England, in Holinshed, I. 110/1. Afterward putting it [sc. brawn] into close vessels, they poure … good small ale … thereto tyll it be couered.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., 650. An earthen vessel in which was hourded a mighty deale of Romaine coine.
1658. J. Harrington, Prerog. Pop. Govt., II. ii. 11. His Enemies breaking down his Statues,… made homely Vessels of them.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. 121. To my great Misfortune, I had no Vessel to boil or stew any Thing.
1791. Cowper, Odyss., II. 381. Join thou the suitors, and provide, In separate vessels stow’d, all needful stores.
1831. Brewster, Optics, iii. 23. Let the board with its pedestal be placed … in a glass vessel of water.
1855. Dickens, Dorrit, II. ix. Bending over a steaming vessel of tea.
1907. Verney Mem., I. 8. Queer tin vessels of many shapes.
Prov. phr. 1599. Shaks., Hen. V., IV. iv. 71. But the saying is true, The empty vessel makes the greatest sound.
transf. 1645. Ussher, Body Div. (1647), 100. The third night (as it seemeth) God caused the Waters to retire into their Vessels.
β. c. 1435. Wyntoun, Cron., V. 1458. Þat … his blude In til a weschael tycht and gude Sulde be put.
a. 1500. Ratis Raving, etc., 101. As lekand weschell haldis no thinge, Sa opin tung has na traistinge.
1561. Winȝet, Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 94. The weschelis and ornamentis appropriat to the seruice of God.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., II. 120. In dischis of daintie, in veschelis of al sortis.
1756. Mrs. Calderwood, Jrnl. (1884), 84. They immediatly put those veshells into cold water.
γ. 13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1713. Þou … has hofen þy hert agaynes þe hyȝe dryȝtyn,… & now his vessayles [are] avyled in vanyte vnclene.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 31. Lay pigges in a vessayle, with bothe hande.
b. In various fig. applications. (Cf. 3.)
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 7859. Þe Iew þey called ‘a voyde vessel,’ And forsoþe, so hyt fel.
c. 1315. Shoreham, I. 1548. Þer-fore ech man … wessche and greydy hys fessel, And do trewlyche hys charge.
1587. Holinshed, Chron. (ed. 2), III. 832/1. The vessell of amitie betweene the king of Enggland & the French being first broched by this popes letters.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., IV. Chorus 3. Of a time, When creeping Murmure … Fills the wide Vessell of the Vniuerse. Ibid. (1605), Macb., III. i. 67. For them, the gracious Duncan haue I murther’d; Put Rancours in the Vessell of my Peace Onely for them.
a. 1650. May, Old Couple, V. Gently, my joys distil Lest you do break the vessel you should fill.
1667. Milton, P. L., XII. 559. Greatly instructed I shall hence depart … and have my fill Of knowledge, what this vessel can containe.
1883. H. Drummond, Nat. Law in Spir. W. (1884), 270. Who will not willingly exchange his shallow vessel for Christ’s well of living water?
c. The contents of a vessel; a vesselful. rare.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 25 b. The vyntenar gyueth frely … a taste of his wyne though he gyue not the hole vessell at ones.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., Stat. K. William, 3. Ane free man … sall gif for multure at the milne the sextene veshell.
† d. Arch. (See quot. and VASE 1 b.) Obs.–0
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Vessels, in Architecture, are certain Ornaments, usually set over the Cornices, and so named, because they represent divers sorts of Vessels, which were in use among the Ancients.
† e. slang. The nose. Obs.
1813. Sporting Mag., XLI. 170. There d—n your eyes, I’ve tapped your vessel.
fig. (chiefly in or after Biblical use). a. Said of a person regarded as having the containing capacity or function of a vessel. Freq. const. of (a condition, quality, etc.). Now arch.
For the phr. the weaker vessel, see WEAK a.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 19674. Þou ga til him [sc. Paul], he es me lele, And o mi chesing he es wessele.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Tim. ii. 21. He schal be a vessel halwid into honour, and profytable to the Lord. Ibid. (1388), Gen. xlix. 5. Symeon and Leuy,… fiȝtynge vessils of wickidnesse.
a. 1400. N. T. (Paues), Acts ix. 15. For he es maked vnto me a vessel of choos forto bere my name bifore kenges ande folke.
1451. Capgrave, Life St. Gilbert, xxxvii. 115. [They] came on-to þe graue wher … Gilbertes body was hid, and … þei lifte up þat holy uessel of God.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 19. Therfore let vs apply our wylles at all tymes to be vesselles of grace.
1552. Lyndesay, Dreme, 254. The cursit Empriour Nero, Off euerilk vice the horrabyll weschell.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. xlix. § 1. We know there are vessels of wrath.
a. 1629. Hinde, J. Bruen, ii. (1641), 6. If he [God] had a purpose to reserve him as a vessell of honor, and for his own house.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 89. Him after long debate … his final sentence chose Fit Vessel, fittest Imp of fraud, in whom To enter.
1738. Wesley, Psalms, LVI. v. And cast into the burning Lake The Vessels of thine Ire.
1773. Mrs. Chapone, Improv. Mind (1774), I. 93. We know not whether … they might not prove … chosen vessels to promote the honour of God.
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xxxviii. Nature … grieves that so goodly a form should be a vessel of perdition.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., lii. It makes a vessel’s heart bleed!
1905. A. Innes Shand, Days of Past, vii. 129. As for the archbishop, he was a seasoned vessel.
† b. Said of the body, esp. as the receptacle of the soul. Obs.
c. 1360. Know Thyself, 4, in E. E. P. (1862), 130. Vche cristen creature knowen hym self ouht His oune vessel.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Thess. iv. 4. That ech of ȝou kunne welde his vessel in … hoolynesse and honour. Ibid., 1 Pet. iii. 7. Ȝeuynge honour to the wommans vessel, or body.
1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 1061. The body … is the vessell of the soule.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Esdras iv. 11. How shulde thy vessel then be able to comprehende the waye of the Hyest?
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, 526. The seede of generation should have been sowne in the vessell, as corne is now in the fielde.
c. 1629. Hinde, J. Bruen, vii. (1641), 28. They possessed their vessels in holinesse, and in honour.
1704. Swift, Mech. Operat. Spirit (1711), 299. The Saint felt his Vessel full extended in every Part.
† c. In other Biblical uses (see quots.). Obs.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, vii. 14. And þare in he has redid vessels of ded [L. vasa mortis]; his aruys till brennand he made. [So in Wyclif (1382).]
1382. Wyclif, 1 Macc. xiv. 10. The citees he … ordeynyde … that thei weren vessels of strengthing.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., I. (Arb.), 71. Dauid in the Psalmes calleth bowes the vessels of death.
1609. Bible (Douay), 1 Macc. xiv. 10. He gave victuals to the citie, and he appointed them that they should be vessels of munition.
4. Any structure designed to float upon and traverse the water for the carriage of persons or goods; a craft or ship of any kind, now usually one larger than a rowing-boat and often restricted to sea-going craft or those plying upon the larger rivers or lakes.
Freq. with distinguishing terms, as bomb-, fishing, gun-, machine-, sailing-, steam-, trading-, transport-, war-vessel, etc.
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 1662. Bot ar i wil mi wengeaunce tak I wil þat þou a wessel mak…. A schippe be-houes þe to dight.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 197. Hire Schip goth in among hem alle,… And hath the vessell undergete, Which Maister was of al the Flete.
1452. Wars Eng. in France (Rolls), II. 477. Ordeyne as meny shippes and vessels of thoo that bylonge to oure port of A. as ye shal mowe.
a. 1489. Caxton, Blanchardyn, XXXV. 131. Blanchardyn drew hymsylf aside wyth-in his vessell.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, xxxv. 110. Sum maner of shyppe or wessell to passe ouer ye see.
1590. Sir J. Smyth, Disc. Weapons, 12. All the long boates and vessells of oares for the landing of men.
1625. Bp. Hall, Wks., 59. A little saile to a large vessell, rids no way.
1683. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 69. All Ships and Vessells vnder 10 Tunns … to pay no fees.
1736. Gray, Statius, II. 21. Where … parting surges round the vessel roar.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine, Vessel, a general name given to the different sorts of ships…. It is, however, more particularly applied to those of the smaller kind, furnished with one or two masts.
1836. Marryat, Midsh. Easy, xix. 67. All the varieties of vessels which float upon the wave.
1844. Kinglake, Eöthen, vi. I knew enough of Greek navigation to be sure that our vessel would cling to earth.
1889. Welch, Text Bk. Naval Archit., 13. For ships of ordinary form (including probably the great majority of vessels).
fig. 1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. ii. 319. Damn’d Pisanio Hath with his forged Letters … From this most brauest vessell of the world Strooke the maine top! Oh Posthumus, alas, Where is thy head?
1781. Cowper, Hope, 168. Hope, as an anchor…, holds fast The Christian vessel, and defies the blast.
1876. Trevelyan, Macaulay, I. v. 250. In 1832 the vessel of Reform was still labouring heavily.
transf. 1882. F. M. Crawford, Mr. Isaacs, i. 6. And every variety of horseflesh may be seen,… from Lord Stephen Kildare’s thoroughbreds to the broad-sterned equestrian vessel of Mr. Currie Ghyrkins.
β. c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xvii. (Martha), 106. Bot for na vyscele wes þane nere, he enterit in riuere faste, & swemand ay.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, XI. 326. He A weschell gat, and maid him to the se.
a. 1568. Sempill, in Satir. Poems Reform., xlvi. 25. A fair vesschell abone þe watter.
1609. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 71/1. The dewtie of coqueitis, entres of shipis, barkis, crearis and wtheris veshellis.
γ. c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., vi. (1885), 123. To borde with carrikkes and oþer grete vessailes.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VIII. vi. 282. He commaunded his seruaunt Gouernayle to goo to his vessaile ageyne.
1497. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 250. The seid veassayle fyrst freight at London with cordage.
δ. c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 76. And the sayd vaissels and ships were blowen unto the perrillous yle of Colchos.
† b. In collective singular. Obs.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13996. Whan Eneas was exiled, euyn were his shippes Two hundreth full hole, all of hede vessell.
1436. Libel Eng. Policy, in Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 160. The haven of Sluse,… Where many wessell and fayre arne abydynge.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 749. Sum fled to Tay, and in small weschell ȝeid.
5. Anat. and Zool. One of the membranous canals, ducts or tubes in which the fluids of the body are contained and by means of which they are circulated; freq., a blood-vessel.
Often with distinguishing term, as blood-, iliac, lymphatic, pulmonary, etc.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IV. vii. (1495), 90. Veynes ben the vessels of blode.
1548–72. Vicary, Anat. (1888), 21. There is no more difference betweene these two vessels of blood, but that the Artere is a vessel of blood spiritual or vytal.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 113. The double membrane of this mesenterie doth inclose and sustaine the vessels which runne through it.
1635–56. Cowley, Davideis, IV. Poems (1905), 380. A nimble thrust his active En’emy made,… And opened wide those secret vessels where Life’s Light goes out, when first they let in aire.
1691. Ray, Creation, II. (1692), 65. All the Bones, and all the Muscles, and all the Vessels of the Body.
1732. Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, 279. In short whatever relaxeth the too strict vessels, or straitens the too lax,… is a Cordial.
1793. Holcroft, Lavater’s Physiog., xii. 65. Vessels everywhere penetrate the bones, supplying them with juices and marrow.
1831. R. Knox, Cloquet’s Anat., 5. The Vessels … are canals which divide and subdivide into branches, are more or less elastic, and are formed by the superposition of different membranes. They are distinguished according to their uses and general disposition into Arteries, Veins, and Lymphatic Vessels.
1871. T. H. Green, Introd. Pathol., 286. Portions of new growths,… which having perforated the vessels, have been carried away by the current.
1893. W. R. Gowers, Man. Dis. Nerv. Syst. (ed. 2), II. 422. If a cist forms in an artery it may be detached … and may obstruct the vessel further on.
b. Bot. One of the cellular or tubular structures composing the vascular system of plants and having the function of containing or carrying sap or other secretion; a duct.
1671. Grew, Anat. Plants, I. iii. § 30. Of the Lignous Body it is so apparent by its Pores, or rather by its Vessels, that we need no farther Evidence. For to what end are Vessels, but for the conveyance of Liquor?
1731. Miller, Gard. Dict., s.v. Vegetable, Bulk for Bulk, the Plant imbibes into its Vessels 17 times more Fluid than the Quantity of the Chyle which enters into a Man’s Vessels.
1787. Winter, Syst. Husb., 93. Air … passes … into the absorbent vessels of the root.
1796. Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 3), I. 368. The leaf has no rib, but seems composed of vessels equally dispersed.
1842. Loudon, Suburban Hort., 40. Whenever the sap in the vessels of a plant freezes, they become ruptured and the plant dies.
1875. Darwin, Insectiv. Pl., xii. 285. Some of the vessels are barred and punctured instead of being spiral.
8. Bot. = PERICARP. rare.
Common in the comb. seed-vessel: see SEED sb. 8.
1691. Ray, Creation, I. (1692), 100. Such Mosses as grow upon Walls,… and other high Places, have Seeds so excessively small, that when shaken out of their Vessels they appear like Vapor.
[1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Vasculiferous Plants, are … such as have besides the common Calyx or Flower Cup, a peculiar Vessel or Case to contain their Seed.]
7. attrib. and Comb. a. In senses 1 and 2, as vessel ambry, -cleaner, cloth, house, maker, -man, stuff. Chiefly Sc.
Vessel-bearing, defining vasiferous (q.v.), is given by Coles (1676), and Bailey (1721).
c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 367, in Babees Bk. For wesselle clothes,… Þe porter hase þat warde in holde.
1488. Acta Dom. Conc. (1839), 98/2. A weschale almery, a cop almery.
1532. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., VI. 39. To the court weschellmen.
1590–1. Exch. Rolls Scotl., XXII. 121. To … William Murra, aid in the vessel hous.
1598. Florio, Vascellaro, a potter, or vessell maker.
1627. Reg. Decreets Sc. Admiralty Ct., I. 93. Clapeburde, pype stalves, veschell and veschell stuff, pitche, tar, rosin, etc.
1886. Cheshire Gloss., 377. Vessel-cleaner, an under dairymaid, whose business it is to clean the cheese tub, cans, and dairy apparatus.
b. In sense 5, as vessel-dilator, -sheath, -wall.
1879. St. George’s Hosp. Rep., IX. 428. In the right lateral sinus, where the clot was adherent to the vessel-wall.
1896. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., I. 234. Vessel dilators are of special use. Ibid. (1899), VIII. 609. A proliferative inflammation of the vessel-sheaths.
c. In sense 4, as vessel-load, man, etc.
1894. Pop. Sci. Monthly, XLIV. 483. The first Russian crew which ‘rescued’ a vessel-load of Circassians on their way to Turkey.
1898. Daily Tel., 6 Jan., 10/7. Other couriers were despatched to see the railroads and the vessel men.
