krater
UK[ˈkreɪtə]US[ˈkreɪtər]
n
A large, wide-mouthed, two-handled vase used in ancient Greece for mixing wine and water.
Etymology
The word 'krater' is a direct borrowing from the Ancient Greek 'κρατήρ' (kratēr), which itself derives from the verb 'κεράννυμι' (keránnymi), meaning "to mix." The literal meaning of the Greek root is "mixing vessel." This term entered English in the 19th century as a specialized archaeological and art-historical term to describe a specific type of Greek pottery. Its journey from a common object in ancient Greek symposia to a modern museum artifact illustrates the direct transmission of a cultural concept through language.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Greek. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The museum's collection features a beautifully painted Attic krater from the 5th century BC.
In the symposium, wine was diluted with water in a large krater before being served to guests.
Archaeologists carefully reconstructed the ceramic krater from dozens of fragments.