Ampulla 2194622 222105220 2008-06-27T16:08:38Z Johnbod 2563820 plural An '''Ampulla''' (plural "ampullae") was, in Ancient Rome, a "small nearly globular flask or bottle, with two handles" ([[OED]]). The word is used of these in archaeology, and of later, often handle-less flasks for [[holy water]] or [[holy oil]] in the Middle Ages, often bought as souvenirs of pilgrimages. * Part of the [[British Crown Jewels]] is the '''Ampulla''', a hollow, gold, eagle-shaped vessel from which the anointing oil is poured by the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] at the [[anoint]]ing of a new [[British monarchy|British sovereign]] at their [[Coronation of the British Monarch|coronation]]. ==Medicine and science== *By extension, in scientific contexts, it may mean a dilated segment in a tubular structure. It is used to describe several anatomical structures: ** [[Ampullae of Lorenzini]] ** [[ampulla of uterine tube]] ** [[ampulla of ductus deferens]] ** [[hepatopancreatic ampulla]] ** [[rectal ampulla]] ** [[osseous ampullae]] * '''Ampullae''' are also bulb-like structures above the [[tube feet]] in [[echinoderms]]. {{disambig}} [[sv:ampull]]