A vial is a very small bottle, usually glass, made to hold a small amount of liquid — medicine, a vaccine, blood taken for a test, perfume, or a chemical in a laboratory. The size is the point: a vial holds a dose or a sample, not a drink.

A vial isvial就是 a very small bottle一種非常小的瓶子 usually glass，通常是玻璃做的， made to hold用來裝 a small amount of liquid少量的液體 medicine, a vaccine, blood taken for a test, perfume, or a chemical in a laboratory——像是藥、疫苗、驗血用的血液、香水，或實驗室裡的化學藥劑。 The size is the point重點在大小 a vial holds：vial裝的是 a dose or a sample一劑藥或一份檢體 not a drink，不是一杯飲料。

Many have a rubber top that a needle goes through, so a nurse can draw the liquid out without opening the bottle.

Many have很多vial上都有 a rubber top一個橡膠蓋 that a needle goes through，針可以直接穿過去 so a nurse can draw the liquid out，這樣護理師就能把液體抽出來 without opening the bottle，不用打開瓶子。

In stories, especially fantasy stories and older writing, a vial is what a potion or a poison comes in, so the word carries a slight feeling of something precious, dangerous or carefully measured. You will meet it in the news whenever vaccines are discussed: "each vial contains six doses".

In stories, especially fantasy stories and older writing在故事裡，尤其是奇幻故事和比較舊的寫作裡 a vial is what a potion or a poison comes in，藥水或毒藥裝的就是vial so the word carries a slight feeling of，所以這個字帶有一點 something precious, dangerous or carefully measured珍貴、危險，或是精心調配過的感覺。 You will meet it in the news在新聞裡也會看到它 whenever vaccines are discussed，只要在講疫苗的時候 "each vial contains six doses"，像是「每瓶vial裝六劑」這樣的說法。

It is a countable noun: one vial, three vials, a vial of blood. There is another spelling, phial, which is the same word and means the same thing; phial looks older and more literary, and vial is the normal spelling today, especially in American English.

It is a countable nounvial是可數名詞 one vial, three vials, a vial of blood，可以說one vial一瓶、three vials三瓶、a vial of blood一瓶血。 There is another spelling, phial另外還有一種拼法phial which is the same word and means the same thing，是同一個字、意思也一樣 phial looks older and more literary；phial看起來比較舊、比較文言一點 and vial is the normal spelling today，而vial才是現在通用的拼法 especially in American English，尤其是在美式英文裡。

It can also be used as a verb, to vial something, meaning to put it into vials, but that is rare and only in factory or laboratory writing.

It can also be used as a verbvial也可以當動詞用 to vial something，to vial something表示把某樣東西 meaning to put it into vials裝進小瓶子裡 but that is rare，不過這種用法很少見 and only in factory or laboratory writing，只會出現在工廠或實驗室的文件裡。