Dictionary

amphora en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /æmˈfɔːɹ.ə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈæm.fə.ɹə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈæm(p).fɚ.ə/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /æm(p)ˈfoɹ.ə/ (General-American)

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”).

Meanings

1. (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.
   • 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. 1914, John L[inton] Myres, Handbook of the Cesnola Collection of Antiquities from Cyprus, New York, N.Y., page 76:
   • 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. 1973, T[homas] B[ertram] L[onsdale] Webster, Athenian Culture and Society, London: Batsford, →ISBN, page 137:
   • 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. 1997, Jonathan M[ark] Hall, Ethnic Identity in Greek Antiquity, Cambridge University Press, published 2004, →ISBN, page 133:
2. (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.
3. (historical) A Roman unit of ship capacity, similar to tonnage.
4. A lower valve of a fruit that opens transversely.

Forms

Coordinates

96 amphora) (unit of liquid volume) · 2304 amphora) (unit of liquid volume) · barrel (large vessel) · bottle (large vessel) · culeus (20 amphoras) (unit of liquid volume) · acetabulum (1 (unit of liquid volume) · sextarius (1 (unit of liquid volume) · cask (large vessel) · cyathus (1 (unit of liquid volume) · 384 amphora) (unit of liquid volume) · keg (large vessel) · tun (large vessel) · jug (large vessel) · hemina (1 (unit of liquid volume) · 48 amphora) (unit of liquid volume) · 192 amphora) (unit of liquid volume) · 576 amphora) (unit of liquid volume) · congius (unit of liquid volume) · urna (unit of liquid volume) · lingula (1 (unit of liquid volume) · quartarius (1 (unit of liquid volume)

Deriveds

Roman amphora · amphoral · Greek amphora · French amphora · amphoralike

Relateds

amphoric · amphora quadrantal

Synonyms

Roman amphora (unit of liquid volume) · amphora quadrantal (unit of liquid volume) · quadrantal (unit of liquid volume)

Translations (34)

arc ܕܘܪܩܐ (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · ca àmfora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · cmn 雙耳細頸橢圓土罐 /双耳细颈椭圆土罐 (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · ota كوپ (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · arc ܩܘܩܬܐ (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · nl amfoor (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · ota جره (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · tr amfora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · grc ἀμφορεύς (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · arc ܐܘܦܪܐ (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · hu amfora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · de Amphore (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · fa کوپ (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · fi amfora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · fr amphore (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · arc ܓܘܪܢܐ (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · pt ânfora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · arc ܩܘܩܐ (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · bg амфора (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · es cántaro (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · sv amfora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · la amphora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · it anfora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · pl amfora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · ru а́мфора (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · ro amforă (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · sh amfora (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · eo amforo (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · uga 𐎗𐎈𐎁𐎚 (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · cmn 雙耳瓶 /双耳瓶 (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · el αμφορέας (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · hy կարաս (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · fa لورانک (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil) · fa روغندان (large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil)