\Ves"sel\, n. [OF. vessel, veissel, vaissel, vaissiel, F.
vascellum, dim. of vasculum, dim. of vas a vessel. Cf.
{Vascular}, {Vase}.]
1. A hollow or concave utensil for holding anything; a hollow
   receptacle of any kind, as a hogshead, a barrel, a firkin,
   a bottle, a kettle, a cup, a bowl, etc.
         [They drank] out of these noble vessels. --Chaucer.
2. A general name for any hollow structure made to float upon
   the water for purposes of navigation; especially, one that
   is larger than a common rowboat; as, a war vessel; a
   passenger vessel.
         [He] began to build a vessel of huge bulk. --Milton.
3. Fig.: A person regarded as receiving or containing
   something; esp. (Script.), one into whom something is
   conceived as poured, or in whom something is stored for
   use; as, vessels of wrath or mercy.
         He is a chosen vessel unto me.        --Acts ix. 15.
         [The serpent] fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in
         whom To enter.                        --Milton.
4. (Anat.) Any tube or canal in which the blood or other
   fluids are contained, secreted, or circulated, as the
   arteries, veins, lymphatics, etc.
5. (Bot.) A continuous tube formed from superposed large
   cylindrical or prismatic cells (trache[ae]), which have
   lost their intervening partitions, and are usually marked
   with dots, pits, rings, or spirals by internal deposition
   of secondary membranes; a duct.
{Acoustic vessels}. See under {Acoustic}.
{Weaker vessel}, a woman; -- now applied humorously. ``Giving
   honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel.'' --1
   Peter iii. 7. ``You are the weaker vessel.'' --Shak.

\Ves"sel\, v. t.
To put into a vessel. [Obs.] --Bacon.