vial
/ˈvaɪəl/ · vi·al
noun
- A small glass container, typically cylindrical, used for storing liquids such as medicines, perfumes, or chemicals. The pharmacist handed me a clear vial filled with the prescribed eye drops.
verb
- To place or keep something in a vial. The technician vials the blood samples before sending them to the lab.
Did you know? The word ‘vial’ appears in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” where a poisoned vial is a crucial clue.