vessel

/ˈvesl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈvesl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈve-səl/ (ame, mw)

vessel — 名詞

  • vesselsingular
  • vesselsplural

1. a large water vehicle designed to move people or goods across oceans, seas, or r

1.名詞B1
釋義

船艦；輪船

用於水上運輸的大型船隻

a large water vehicle designed to move people or goods across oceans, seas, or rivers

例句

The cargo vessel left the port of Kaohsiung early this morning with electronics.

這艘貨輪今天清晨載著電子產品離開了高雄港。

collocation: cargo vessel / passenger vessel / naval vessel

Mateo spent two years working on a fishing vessel off the coast of Alaska.

Mateo 在阿拉斯加外海的一艘漁船上工作了兩年。

同義詞
  • ship

    similar in size but 'ship' is the everyday word; 'vessel' sounds more technical or formal

  • boat

    smaller than a vessel; 'boat' is the general informal term

  • craft

    can include boats, ships, and hovercraft; more general and less common in everyday speech

文法句型

vessel + for + [purpose]

vessel + of + [type]

用法筆記

More formal than 'boat' or 'ship'. Commonly used in official reports, maritime contexts, and news articles about sea travel or shipping.

常見錯誤

❌The small fishing vessel was just a little rowboat with an engine.
✅The small fishing boat was just a little rowboat with an engine.
💡'vessel' is too formal for very small boats; use 'boat' instead.

2. an object shaped to hold liquid, usually broad at the top and curved along the s

2.名詞B1
釋義

容器；器皿

盛裝液體的曲形容器

an object shaped to hold liquid, usually broad at the top and curved along the sides — common examples include bowls, cups, pots, and jugs

例句

Ritu poured the hot tea into a ceramic vessel shaped like a lotus flower.

Ritu 將熱茶倒入一個蓮花造型的陶瓷容器中。

collocation: ceramic vessel / glass vessel / clay vessel

Archaeologists found several clay vessels filled with grain inside the old tomb.

考古學家在古墓中發現幾個裝滿穀物的陶容器。

同義詞
  • container

    a more general word; not limited to liquid-holding or curved shapes

  • bowl

    a specific type of vessel, always wide and open at the top

  • jug

    a vessel with a narrow opening and a handle, used for pouring liquids

文法句型

vessel + for + [liquid/use]

vessel + of + [material]

用法筆記

Often used in historical, archaeological, or formal contexts. In everyday conversation, words like 'bowl', 'cup', 'pot', or 'container' are more common.

常見錯誤

❌I washed the cooking vessel after dinner.
✅I washed the cooking pot after dinner.
💡'vessel' sounds overly formal for ordinary kitchen items; use a specific word like 'pot' or 'pan'.

3. any of the tube-shaped structures inside a human or animal body that carry blood

3.名詞B2
釋義

血管

運送血液等體液的體內管道

any of the tube-shaped structures inside a human or animal body that carry blood, lymph, or other fluids between organs and tissues

例句

Dr. Okafor warned Mr. Suzuki that his smoking habit had already narrowed several blood vessels in his heart.

Okafor 醫生警告 Suzuki 先生，他的吸菸習慣已經讓心臟的多條血管變窄。

pattern: narrowed + blood vessel + in + [body part] — concrete medical context

Stéphanie could see tiny blue blood vessels near the surface of her wrist.

Stéphanie 可以看到手腕表面附近細小的藍色血管。

同義詞
  • artery

    a specific type of blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart

  • vein

    a specific type of blood vessel that returns blood to the heart

  • capillary

    the smallest type of blood vessel that connects arteries and veins

文法句型

blood vessel

lymph vessel

vessel + in + [body part]

用法筆記

When the meaning is clear from context, native speakers often drop 'blood' and say just 'vessel', especially in medical settings. The three main types are arteries, veins, and capillaries.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor checked my vessels for damage.
✅The doctor checked my blood vessels for damage.
💡without 'blood', the sentence is unclear unless the context is already medical.

4. a person seen as carrying or representing a particular quality, message, or spir

4.名詞C1
釋義

載體；化身

具有某種特質或使命的人

a person seen as carrying or representing a particular quality, message, or spiritual purpose — for example, being described as a vessel of kindness or a vessel for social change

例句

Many people saw the young activist as a vessel of hope for the community.

許多人將這位年輕的社運人士視為社區希望的載體。

pattern: vessel + of + [abstract quality]

The artist believed she was simply a vessel through which creativity flowed.

這位藝術家認為自己只是一個讓創意流經的載體。

pattern: vessel through which [something] flows

同義詞
  • channel

    less dramatic; suggests a medium through which something passes rather than a container that holds it

  • medium

    emphasises the role of passing something (e.g. artistic expression) from a source to others

文法句型

vessel + of + [quality]

vessel + for + [purpose]

用法筆記

Almost always used in formal, literary, or religious writing. The person is typically described not as themselves but as a channel for something greater. Common in phrases like 'vessel of grace', 'vessel of wrath', or 'chosen vessel'.