amphora means A large, two-handled vessel, especially a thin-necked clay vat used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing and transporting wine and oil. It carries an Arena rating of 1594, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, amphora ranks #1,691 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #2,021 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #2,465 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #3,032 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words.
amphora is pronounced /ˈæm.fə.ɹə/.
Why “amphora” is a great word
A large, two-handled vessel with a narrow neck, typically of clay, used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing and transporting wine, oil, or other goods. From Latin amphora ("large wine vessel, Roman unit of liquid measure"), from Ancient Greek ἀμφορεύς (amphoreús, "two-handled pitcher"), ultimately from Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀠𐀡𐀩𐀸 (a-pi-po-re-we, "carried on both sides"). Unlike a hydria, a three-handled water jar designed for fetching and pouring, or a simple domestic jug, the amphora is an instrument of commerce and endurance. It is the dark, glazed belly of the merchant ship, the stamped seal of a bureaucracy, the broken shard mapping a forgotten trade route—the durable, earthbound geometry of ancient necessity.
Etymology
From Latin amphora (“large wine vessel, Roman unit of liquid measure”), from Ancient Greek ἀμφορεύς (amphoreús, “two-handled pitcher, Greek units of liquid measure”), ultimately from Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀠𐀡𐀩𐀸 (a-pi-po-re-we, “carried on both sides”).
noun
- A large, two-handled vessel, especially a thin-necked clay vat used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing and transporting wine and oil.
- 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.
- A Roman unit of ship capacity, similar to tonnage.
- A lower valve of a fruit that opens transversely.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- amphoriskos 77% match — A two-handled jar anciently used to hold perfume, etc. vs amphora →
- amphoric 73% match — Of or related to an amphora, either as a large vessel or a Roman unit of liquid measure. vs amphora →
- amphoreus 71% match — An Ancient Greek unit of liquid measure reckoned as equivalent to about 9 gallons. vs amphora →
- ampulla 67% match — An Ancient Roman two-handled vessel. vs amphora →
- dolium 66% match — A large earthenware vessel used for the storage and transportation of goods (especially wine an olive oil) in the ancient Western Mediterranean. vs amphora →
- amphoral 66% match — Of, pertaining to, or in the shape of an amphora vs amphora →
- œnophorum 65% match — A vessel (such as a jug or basket) for holding or transporting wine or wine bottles. vs amphora →
- amphoralike 63% match — Resembling or characteristic of an amphora. vs amphora →