beaker

the word 'beaker' has a long and winding history through the languages of europe, primarily denoting a drinking vessel. its earliest traceable root is the medieval latin 'bicarium', whose own origin is uncertain but may be related to the greek 'bikos', meaning an earthenware jug or wine-vessel. entering the germanic languages, it evolved into forms like old norse 'bikarr', which was then adopted into middle english. the modern sense of a lipped cylindrical glass container for scientific use developed in the 19th century, applying the familiar shape of a simple drinking cup to the specialized context of the laboratory.

the word is a simplex loanword. it is derived from the middle english 'beker', which came from old norse 'bikarr', itself a borrowing from old saxon 'bikeri' or old high german 'behhar', ultimately from medieval latin 'bicarium', a drinking vessel.