n.1 a hollow receptacle esp. for liquid, e.g. a cask, cup, pot, bottle, or dish.
2 a ship or boat, esp. a large one.
3 a Anat. a duct or canal etc. holding or conveying blood or other fluid, esp. blood-vessel. b Bot. a woody duct carrying or containing sap etc.
4 Bibl. or joc. a person regarded as the recipient or exponent of a quality (a weak vessel).
Etymology: ME f. AF vessel(e), OF vaissel(le) f. LL vascellum dimin. of vas vessel