canopic vase

9.9

A jar in ancient Egypt that holds organs taken out before making a mummy

noun
/kəˈnɒpɪk veɪs/

Specialized

: vaso canópico

Each canopic vase was dedicated to a specific organ and protected by a different deity.

Examples

The museum displayed a beautifully decorated canopic vase in its Egyptian antiquities section.
Archaeologists discovered a set of canopic vases during the excavation of the tomb.
The canopic vase was beautifully decorated.
Many canopic vases were found in the tomb.
Archaeologists discovered a set of canopic vases during the excavation of the tomb.
Each canopic vase was dedicated to a specific organ and protected by a different deity.
The museum displayed a beautifully decorated canopic vase in its Egyptian antiquities section.

Synonyms

canopic jar

vscanopic vase

Specialized

1 9.9

A jar with a lid used in ancient Egypt to hold the organs removed from a dead body

has identical meaning but uses a different word for the container

Surface Forms

canopic vase singular

canopic vases plural

Morphology

canopic + vase

The adjective 'canopic' is a specialized, culture-specific term tied to ancient Egyptian funerary practice and does not transparently indicate ‘holding internal organs’; while 'vase' denotes a container, that alone does not reveal the specific ritual function. Understanding this MWE requires encyclopedic/cultural knowledge (what 'canopic' refers to) rather than simple composition of constituent meanings, so a B1 learner who only knows the word forms would not reliably infer the full meaning.

Etymology

Canopic vase names the jars ancient Egyptians used to hold the organs removed when making a mummy. Each vase held one organ and was often shown with a god's head to protect it, so the strong image of a small jar keeping an organ helps explain why the term means a jar used to keep body parts for the 'afterlife'.