noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈæm.fə.ɹə/
Received-Pronunciation:/æmˈfɔːɹ.ə/
General-American:/ˈæm(p).fɚ.ə/
General-American:/æm(p)ˈfoɹ.ə/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɔːɹə
CMU ARPABET:AE1 M F ER0 AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A large, two-handled vessel, especially a thin-necked clay vat used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing and transporting wine and oil.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A Roman unit of ship capacity, similar to tonnage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A lower valve of a fruit that opens transversely.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
an ancient jar with two handles and a narrow neck; used to hold oil or wine
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: jar
History
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”).
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Aramaic:
ܐܘܦܪܐ
(awpārā)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Aramaic:
ܓܘܪܢܐ
(gūrnā)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Aramaic:
ܕܘܪܩܐ
(dōrqā)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Aramaic:
ܩܘܩܬܐ
(qūqtā)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Aramaic:
ܩܘܩܐ
(qūqā)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Armenian:
կարաս
(karas)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Bulgarian:
амфора
(amfora)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Catalan:
àmfora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Chinese Mandarin:
雙耳細頸橢圓土罐 /双耳细颈椭圆土罐
(shuāng'ěrxìjǐng tuǒyuán tǔguàn)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Chinese Mandarin:
雙耳瓶 /双耳瓶
(shuāng'ěrpíng)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Dutch:
amfoor
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Esperanto:
amforo
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Finnish:
amfora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
French:
amphore
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
German:
Amphore
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Greek:
αμφορέας
(amforéas)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Ancient Greek:
ἀμφορεύς
(amphoreús)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Hungarian:
amfora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Italian:
anfora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Latin:
amphora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Persian:
کوپ
(kup)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Persian:
روغندان
(roγandān)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Persian:
لورانک
(lurānak)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Polish:
amfora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Portuguese:
ânfora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Romanian:
amforă
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Russian:
а́мфора
(ámfora)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Serbo-Croatian:
amfora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Spanish:
cántaro
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Swedish:
amfora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Turkish:
amfora
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Ottoman Turkish:
كوپ
(küp)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Ottoman Turkish:
جره
(cerre)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
Ugaritic:
𐎗𐎈𐎁𐎚
(rḥbt)
— large clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome for storing wine and oil
