: a bell-shaped usually glass vessel designed to cover objects or to contain gases or a vacuum
Illustration of bell jar
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebBut Beijing’s vow to keep the city in a political bell jar for 50 years has been shattered.New York Times, 30 June 2022 Again: What works within the humid environment under a bell jar or inside a narrow-mouthed lab flask is quite different from what flourishes in an open bowl or an uncovered fish tank.New York Times, 26 Nov. 2021 The problem is the dramatic vacuum, or suffocating bell jar, in which her performance plays out. Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2021 Kristen made everything better, her confidence like a bell jar of security in a strange and gnarled world. Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 26 July 2021 Bird and Feather Templates A bell jar gives a no-carve pumpkin, with bird and feather designs, the star treatment. Country Living Staff, Country Living, 23 June 2020 Eileen Roscina Richardson applies the ancient art of natural tree shaping to fungi, using light exposure to make her plants grow in zig-zag patterns, and then places them under bell jars for public inspection. Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Know, 19 Nov. 2019 The décor was full of surprises, from cracked open pomegranates, to apples under bell jars, with gorgeous vintage velvet sofas and pillows throughout the space, and trees lining the room. Belathée, Harper's BAZAAR, 31 Oct. 2019 But where other celebrities rarely take stock of their actions while trapped in the bell jar, Heidi revisits those moments out loud. Anne T. Donahue, Marie Claire, 8 July 2019 See More
Word History
First Known Use
1806, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
bell jar
noun
: a usually glass vessel shaped like a bell and used to cover objects, hold gases, or keep a vacuum
Medical Definition
bell jar
noun
ˈbel-ˌjär
: a bell-shaped usually glass vessel designed to cover objects or to contain gases or a vacuum