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Flask: Definition, Usage & Key Differences Explained (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：insulated bottle (flask)
flask
/flɑːsk/
n.
A portable container, often made of metal or plastic, used to carry and keep drinks hot or cold.
insulated bottle
➕
/ˈɪn.sjʊ.leɪ.tɪd ˈbɒt.əl/
n.
A portable, often insulated container designed for carrying drinks and maintaining their temperature, hot or cold.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Originates from Latin 'flasca' or 'vasculum', meaning a bottle or small container.
💡 Mnemonic
Think of a 'FLAt taSK' - a flat task (hike or experiment) needs a container to carry your drink.
📖 Example
Before the long hike, she filled her flask with hot tea to keep warm.
Prior to the extended trek, she poured hot tea into her insulated bottle to maintain warmth.
🔗 Collocations
vacuum flask – a flask with a vacuum layer for superior insulation
hip flask – a small flat flask for carrying alcoholic spirits
fill a flask – to put a liquid into a flask
🔄 Synonyms
thermos (n.) – a trademark for a type of vacuum flask
canteen (n.) – a small container for carrying water, often used by soldiers or campers
water bottle (n.) – a bottle for carrying drinking water, may or may not be insulated
🌱 Derivatives
flaskful (n.) – the amount that a flask can hold
📖 Cultural Story
The word 'flask' has a dual cultural life. In modern English, it strongly evokes the image of a vacuum-sealed, portable bottle, a staple for outdoor enthusiasts, commuters, and anyone wanting to keep their beverage temperature-regulated. Simultaneously, it remains the standard term for the iconic narrow-necked glassware found in every chemistry lab, symbolizing scientific experimentation.
Meaning 2：laboratory glassware (flask)
flask
/flɑːsk/
n.
A glass container used in science labs, with a narrow neck and a stopper, for holding, heating, or mixing liquids.
laboratory glassware
➕
/ləˈbɒr.ə.tər.i ˈɡlɑːs.weər/
n.
A piece of laboratory glassware with a narrow neck and a flat bottom, used for holding, mixing, or heating liquids.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
The chemistry teacher carefully heated the liquid in the glass flask over a Bunsen burner.
The instructor of chemistry gently warmed the substance inside the laboratory glass container positioned above a gas burner.
🔗 Collocations
conical flask – a flask with a conical body and a cylindrical neck, also called an Erlenmeyer flask
Erlenmeyer flask – a conical laboratory flask with a flat bottom
volumetric flask – a flask used to prepare a solution of precise volume
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
open container (n.) – a receptacle without a narrow neck or closure, like a bowl or dish
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