Bocal
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A curved, tapered metal tube which connects the reed of several double reed woodwind instruments (such as the cor anglais, bassoon, and contrabassoon) to the rest of the instrument.
- 2 A cylindrical glass vessel with a short wide neck.
"Something very similar to Faust’s cell presented itself to the view of Jehan when he ventured his head within the half-open door. It was a similar gloomy, dim-lighted nook. There was also a large fauteuil and a large table; compasses; alembics; skeletons of animals suspended from the ceiling; a sphere rolling on the floor; hippocéphales promiscuously with bocaux in which were quivering leaves of gold; […]"
Example
More examples"Something very similar to Faust’s cell presented itself to the view of Jehan when he ventured his head within the half-open door. It was a similar gloomy, dim-lighted nook. There was also a large fauteuil and a large table; compasses; alembics; skeletons of animals suspended from the ceiling; a sphere rolling on the floor; hippocéphales promiscuously with bocaux in which were quivering leaves of gold; […]"
Etymology
Borrowed from French bocal. Doublet of boccale and pokal.
Related phrases
More for "bocal"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.