Phrase guide

Leyden jar

noun · 2 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈlaɪdən ˌdʒɑɹ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A glass jar or bottle used to accumulate static electricity between two electrodes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

Topics: business, electrical, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Leyden phial, Kleistian jar

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: capacitor

2

noun

Meaning 2

an electrostatic capacitor of historical interest

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Leiden jar

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: capacitor, capacitance, condenser, electrical condenser

History

Etymology

Named after the city of Leiden (in the Netherlands), where it was invented.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قَارُورَة لَيْدَن — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Basque: Leyden ontzi — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Basque: Leyden botila — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Belarusian: ле́йдэнскі слоі́к (ljéjdenski sloík) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Bulgarian: лайденска стъкленица (lajdenska stǎklenica) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Catalan: ampolla de Leiden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 萊頓瓶 /莱顿瓶 (Láidùn píng) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 來登瓶 /来登瓶 (Láidēng píng) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Czech: leidenská láhev — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Danish: leydnerflaske — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Danish: Leydens flaske — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Dutch: Leidse fles — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Esperanto: botelo de Leiden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Estonian: Leideni purk — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Finnish: Leidenin pullo — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Finnish: Leydenin pullo — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • French: bouteille de Leyde — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Galician: botella de Leiden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Georgian: ლეიდენის ქილა (leidenis kila) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • German: Leidener Flasche — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • German: Kleistsche Flasche — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • German: Kondensationsflasche — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • German: Flaschenkondensator — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Greek: φιάλη του Λέιντεν (fiáli tou Léinten) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Greek: λουγδουνική λάγηνος (lougdounikí láginos) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Hungarian: leideni palack — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Indonesian: Tabung Leyden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Indonesian: Tabung Leiden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Irish: crúsca Leyden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Italian: bottiglia di Leida — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Japanese: ライデン瓶 (Raiden-bin) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Korean: 라이덴병 (Raidenbyeong) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Macedonian: лајденска тегла (lajdenska tegla) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Macedonian: Лајден тегла (Lajden tegla) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Norwegian Bokmål: leidnerflaske — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Norwegian Bokmål: leydnerflaske — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: leidenflaske — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: leidenerflaske — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Polish: butelka lejdejska — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Portuguese: garrafa de Leyden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Portuguese: garrafa de Leiden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Portuguese: garrafa de Leida — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Romanian: butelie de Leyda — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Russian: ле́йденская ба́нка (léjdenskaja bánka) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Spanish: botella de Leyden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Spanish: botella de Leiden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Swedish: leidenflaska — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Swedish: leidnerflaska — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Swedish: kleistsk flaska — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Tamil: லேய்டின் கொள்கலன் (lēyṭiṉ koḷkalaṉ) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Turkish: Leyden kavanozu — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Ukrainian: ле́йденська ба́нка (léjdensʹka bánka) — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Vietnamese: chai Leiden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
  • Vietnamese: chai Leyden — glass jar used to accumulate static electricity