Illustration of amphora
- amphora 1
amphora
noun
am·pho·ra ˈam(p)-fə-rə 
plural amphorae ˈam(p)-fə-ˌrē
-ˌrī
or amphoras 1
: an ancient Greek jar or vase with a large oval body, narrow cylindrical neck, and two handles that rise almost to the level of the mouth
broadly : such a jar or vase used elsewhere in the ancient world
2
: a 2-handled vessel shaped like an amphora
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Each amphora only holds 90 gallons of wine, so your best bet to find this clay-aged wine is at Troon’s tasting room or wine bar. 
Michael Alberty | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 11 Oct. 2021 More than 300,000 items, from coins and jewellery to marble statues, amphoras, lamps and perfume vases have been unearthed. The Economist, 10 Dec. 2019 Back in 2012, the archaeologists uncovered what was believed to be the home of a perfume merchant, which included an area for manufacturing some sort of liquid as well as amphora and glass bottles with residue in them. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 9 Aug. 2019 The ship’s cargo includes at least four different types of amphora, or ancient jars, as well as fine ceramics. Fox News, 9 Nov. 2019 About a week of skin contact in stainless steel, then aged in clay amphora. Ellen Bhang, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2019 Then take a tour of the four-level winery, built into the hillside, to see the clay amphoras, crafted according to traditional techniques in Georgia, filled with thousands of liters of wine and buried in the earth. Mary Winston Nicklin, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Aug. 2019 Both burial chambers also held ancient treasures, including figurines, clay pots, false amphoras (jugs) and narrow-leaved basins, as well as other small artifacts such as buttons, the Ministry reported yesterday (Aug. 11). Fox News, 14 Aug. 2019 The pots, distant relatives to amphoras and urns, stand on the floor and reach to the viewer’s ribs and higher. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 7 June 2019 See More
Michael Alberty | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 11 Oct. 2021 More than 300,000 items, from coins and jewellery to marble statues, amphoras, lamps and perfume vases have been unearthed. The Economist, 10 Dec. 2019 Back in 2012, the archaeologists uncovered what was believed to be the home of a perfume merchant, which included an area for manufacturing some sort of liquid as well as amphora and glass bottles with residue in them. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 9 Aug. 2019 The ship’s cargo includes at least four different types of amphora, or ancient jars, as well as fine ceramics. Fox News, 9 Nov. 2019 About a week of skin contact in stainless steel, then aged in clay amphora. Ellen Bhang, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2019 Then take a tour of the four-level winery, built into the hillside, to see the clay amphoras, crafted according to traditional techniques in Georgia, filled with thousands of liters of wine and buried in the earth. Mary Winston Nicklin, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Aug. 2019 Both burial chambers also held ancient treasures, including figurines, clay pots, false amphoras (jugs) and narrow-leaved basins, as well as other small artifacts such as buttons, the Ministry reported yesterday (Aug. 11). Fox News, 14 Aug. 2019 The pots, distant relatives to amphoras and urns, stand on the floor and reach to the viewer’s ribs and higher. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 7 June 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Latin, adaptation (with gender and suffix change) of Greek amphoreús, by haplology from amphiphoreús, from amphi- amphi- + phoreús "bearer, carrier," from phor- (stem in nominal derivation of phérein "to carry") + -eus, instrument suffix — more at bear entry 2
Note: The form amphiphoreús occurs in Homeric epics, but most likely only for metrical reasons. According to P. Chantraine (Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque), Mycenaean documents have evidence for both amphiphoreús and amphoreús.
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1