Amphora

Quick meaning: Amphora is a noun meaning (botany) A lower valve of a fruit that opens transversely.

Meaning

(botany) A lower valve of a fruit that opens transversely.

More Meanings

1. (historical) A Roman unit of ship capacity, similar to tonnage.
2. (chiefly historical) A large, two-handled vessel, especially a thin-necked clay vat used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing and transporting wine and oil.
3. (historical) A Roman unit of liquid measure reckoned as the volume of 80 Roman pounds of wine and equivalent to about 26 L although differing slightly over time.

Example Sentences

A complete set for a ten-man symposion (an ordinary size) with ten deep cups, ten shallow cups, two mixing-bowls, two wine-jugs, two hydriai, two amphorai would cost in the neighbourhood of forty drachmai, and that would not be an unreasonable price for a rich man for a special occasion.

By concurrent use of panel decoration and concentric-circle ornament, and by free employment of red paint, the fully developed style of the Geometric Period attains a wide range of rich and elaborate effects. These are best displayed on the necks and shoulders of the very large amphorai which are characteristic of this period.

Traditionally, the style of an artefact has been separated from its function. Thus, the function of a Greek pot – defined in terms of whether it was intended for transportation (hydriai or large amphorai), storage (pithoi and some kraters), distribution (oinokhoai) or consumption (cups, skyphoi and plates) – tends to be treated separately from any painted decoration on its surface.

Word Forms

• amphoras
• amphorae
• amphorai

Synonyms for amphora

Depending on context, synonyms include quadrantal.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include vase, lagena, pelike, oenochoe, pithos, alabastron.

Related Dictionary Tools