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decanter

decanter

8 6.5
A decorative glass bottle with a stopper used to serve wine
  • noun
  • /dɪˈkæntər/
translation icon : decanter
  • Gentlemen, I'm thankful to say it's been 17 years... since we last had occasion to use this decanter.
  • decanter and wine glass

Examples

  • "You never care about food." Karen Grant poured Chianti from the decanter and handed a glass to Allan.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Would you pass the decanter, please?

  • Your brandy decanter is right there.

  • A pair of empty glasses sits on a table, an empty sherry decanter beside them.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Clay deliberates a moment, then puts down his drink next to the decanter of Scotch.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • A fire was blazing, the white wine chilling, a decanter of red wine on the sideboard.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Ransome offered him the brandy decanter, and Dalmar shrugged off further unprofitable speculation.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Please pour the wine from the decanter into the glass.

  • She placed the fine crystal decanter on the dinner table for the guests.

  • The host proudly presented a vintage decanter filled with Merlot.

Synonyms

bottle
vsdecanter
1.0

A container with a narrow neck for holding drinks or other liquids

is a decorative serving vessel that uses a stopper
carafe
vsdecanter
5 6.1

A glass container for serving water or wine

has a stopper and is decorative for serving wine

How Big

decanter
8 6.5
bottle
1.0
carafe
5 6.1
cruet
1 9.3
vial
101 4.0

Surface Forms

decanter singular
decanters plural

Morphology

decanter = decant (transparent) = decant + er

Formed from the verb 'decant' plus the agent/instrument suffix '-er', so the noun denotes the vessel used for decanting.

Etymology

Decanter comes from the verb decant, which originally meant 'to pour off' and combines de- meaning 'away' with an old word for a drinking cup. A decanter is a special glass bottle used to pour wine away from the small bits at the bottom, so the name fits its use for serving wine.