A Ship and a Blood Vessel Are Both Containers
A vessel is a ship, a container, or a tube carrying fluid in the body. All three come from the Latin word for a vase.
A vessel is a ship, a container, or a tube carrying fluid in a body. The connection is the Latin *vas*, a vase or container: a ship holds people and cargo, a jug holds liquid, and a blood vessel holds blood. Once you see the container in each, the three senses stop looking like coincidence.
- A ship. *A fishing vessel.*
- A container. *A drinking vessel.*
- A tube in the body. *Blood vessels.*
- A person as a carrier. *A vessel of hope.*
- Vascular — relating to vessels. *The vascular system.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | vessel | A small vessel. |
| Plural | vessels | Blood vessels. |
| Adjective | vascular | Vascular surgery. |
| Latin | vas | A vase. |
| Related | vase | A glass vase. |
- The vessel docked at midnight.Shipping.
- Blood vessels narrow in the cold.Anatomy.
- A ceremonial drinking vessel.Archaeology.
Types of blood vessel
- Arteries — carry blood away from the heart, usually oxygenated
- Veins — carry blood back to the heart
- Capillaries — the smallest, where exchange with tissue happens
- The exception — pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood
- Total length in an adult is often estimated in the tens of thousands of miles
Old French *vessel*, from Late Latin *vascellum*, a small vase, a diminutive of *vas*. English has used it since the 1300s for all three senses.
Are vase and vessel related?
Yes. Both come from Latin vas, a container. Vessel is the diminutive form that came through French.
What is the difference between a ship and a vessel?
Vessel is the broader term and covers anything that floats and carries. Ship usually implies a larger seagoing craft.