Forms: α. 4–6 vyol(e, 4–8 viol(e, 4, 6–7 violl(e, 5–6 vyoll(e. β. 5–7 vyal(l, 6 voyalle, vialle, 6–7 viall, 7– vial. [var. fyole, fiol, fiall, etc., PHIAL sb. See the note on the letter V.] A vessel of a small or moderate size used for holding liquids; in later use spec., a small glass bottle, a phial.
α. 13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1280. Dere disches of golde & dubleres fayre, Þe vyoles & þe vesselment of vertuous stones.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Can. Yeom. Prol. & T., 240. Sondry vessels maad of erthe and glas,… Violes, crosletz, and sublymatories, Cucurbites and alembikes.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 185. Sette þe viol vpon soft colis & lete hem boile.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. 3052. After þat, for his chefe socour, Sche toke to hym a viol with licour.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, V. x. 178. Pryamus toke fro his page a vyolle ful of the four waters that came oute of paradys.
1530. Palsgr. 285/1. Vyole, a glasse, fiolle, uiole.
c. 1550. H. Lloyd, Treas. Health, E vj. Mengle them togither and put them in a vyol of glasse, and stop the mouth thereof close.
1609. Dekker, Ravens Alm., Wks. (Grosart), IV. 238. The Iewe … spyed the Violl that the poore man held in his hand vnder his cloak.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys. Mech., vi. 53. The Air in the little Viol began to dilate it self.
1705. Addison, Italy, 232. I plac’d a thin Viol, well stopp’d up with Wax, within the Smoak of the Vapour.
β. a. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 146. He toke vyals of cristall and of lambur and of glas, and put þys blod yn hom.
1530. Palsgr., 285/2. Vyall, a glasse, fiolle.
1576. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 275. Two glasse voyalles for the Lord Howardes servauntes.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., III. ix. 84 b. A cruese or viall ful of sweete and smelling water.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 433. Glass vials also and sundry small earthen vessels.
1683. W. Hedges, Diary (Hakl. Soc.), I. 86. I gave him a small Vyall of Balme of Gilead.
1747. Wesley, Prim. Physick (1762), 67. Put a spoonful of this water in a Vial.
1756. Nugent, Gr. Tour, France, IV. 298. The holy vial, containing the oil used at the coronation of their kings.
1820. Shelley, Witch Atlas, xvii. Liquors clear and sweet … She in her crystal vials did closely keep.
1842. A. Combe, Physiol. Digestion (ed. 4), 114. [He] placed the vial in a basin of water on a sand-bath.
1871. R. H. Hutton, Ess., I. 296. France would not be what she is if men had not believed for a thousand years in the holy vial of Rheims.
attrib. and Comb. 1647. Hexham, I. A viall-maker, een … Fiolen-maker.
1825. T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Man of Many Friends, I. 321. There were two little vial-bottles and a box of corn-plaster in the drawer of the basin-stand.
1880. Mrs. Cameron, Three Flower-Pots, 25. He saw upon the table a large vial bottle with something very black in it.
b. In allegorical or purely figurative use.
Freq. in allusion to Rev. xv. 7, etc. (see first quots.).
1382. Wyclif, Rom. xv. 7. Seuen golden violes, ful of the wraththe of God. Ibid., xvi. 1. Go ȝe, and schede ȝe out the seuen violes of Goddis wrath in to erthe.
c. 1420. Lydg., Ballad Commend. Our Lady, 113. O glorious viole, O vitre inviolate!
1603. Drayton, Bar. Wars, II. vi. And with a vial fild with baneful wrath,… Which in her blacke hand readily she hath, And drops the poison vpon euery wight.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., V. iii. 122. You Gods looke downe, And from your sacred Viols poure your graces Vpon my daughters head.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., s.v., Vials of wrath, mentioned in the Apocalipse, signifie Gods readiness to be fully revenged on sinners.
c. 1680. Beveridge, Serm. (1729), II. 5. To behold the almighty Creator … pouring out the utmost viols of his wrath … upon them.
1718. Prior, Solomon, III. 386. The frighted Angels … o’er the Earth from wrathful Viols pour’d Tempests and Storm.
1780. Burke, Œcon. Reform., Wks. 1842, I. 239. You have tuns of ancient pomp in a vial of modern luxury.
1820. Byron, Mar. Fal., IV. ii. 134. Now the destroying angel hovers o’er Venice, and pauses ere he pours the vial.
1853. Kingsley, Hypatia, xvii. Everywhere sensuality, division, hatred, treachery, cruelty, uncertainty, terror; the vials of God’s wrath poured out.
1880. W. G. Blaikie, Livingstone, vii. 135. For one so patient and good, he had a very large vial of indignation, and on occasion poured it out right heartily over all injustice.
Hence Vial v. trans., to put into a vial; also fig. Vialled a., kept or stored in a vial. Vialful, as much as can be contained in a vial.
1634. Milton, Comus, 847. Helping all urchin blasts, and ill luck signes … Which she with pretious viold liquors heals.
1805. W. Taylor, in Ann. Rev., III. 46. The distilled perfume of the bookmaker’s style … is here not sprinkled over every page, and vialled in every sentenice.
c. 1820. S. Rogers, Italy, Campagna Florence (1830), 114.
| A vial-ful of sounds, | |
| The musical chimes of the great bells that hung | |
| In Solomon’s Temple. |
1886. Ruskin, Præterita, xii. 404. I had, in my little clay pitcher, vialfuls, as it were, of Wordsworth’s reverence [etc.].
