FLASK  , in its earliest meaning in Old

English a vessel for carrying liquor, made of wood or leather . The principal applications in current usage are (1) to a vessel of metal or wood, formerly of horn, used for carrying gunpowder; (2) to a long-necked, round-bodied glass vessel, usually covered with plaited straw or maize leaves, containing olive or other oil or Italian wines—it is often known as a " Florence flask ": similarly shaped vessels are used for experiments, &c., in a laboratory; x.z6(3) to a small metal or glass receptacle for spirits, wine or other liquor, of a size and shape to fit into a pocket or holster, usually covered with leather, basket-work or other protecting substance, and with a detachable portion of the case shaped to form a cup . " Flask " is also used in metal-founding of a wooden frame or case to contain part of the mould . The word "flagon," which is by derivation a doublet of " flask," is usually applied to a larger type of vessel for holding liquor, more particularly to a type of wine-bottle with a short neck and circular body with flattened sides . The word is also used of a jug-shaped vessel with a handle, spout and lid, into which wine may be decanted from the bottle for use at table, and of a similarly shaped vessel to contain the Eucharistic wine till it is poured into the chalice . "Flask" (in O . Eng. fiasce or flaxe) is represented both in Teutonic and Romanic languages . The earliest examples are found in Med . Lat. fiasco, flasconis, whence come Ital. fiascone, O . Fr. fiascon(mod. flacon), adapted in the Eng . "flagon." Another Lat. form is fiasca, this gave a Fr. fiasque, which in the sense of " powder flask " remained in use till later than the 16th century . In Teutonic languages the word, in its various forms, is the common one for " bottle," so in Ger .

Flasche, Dutch fiesch, &c . If the word is of Romanic origin it is probably a metathesized form of the Lat. vasculum, diminutive of vas, vessel . There is no very satisfactory

etymology if the word is of Teutonic origin; the New English Dictionary considers a connexion with " flat " probable phonetically, but finds no evidence that the word was used originally for a flat-shaped vessel .