cruet
noun
- small vessel, usually with handle and stopper, for serving vinegar, oil, or other liquids
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈkɹu.ɪt/
noun
Etymology: From Middle English, from Anglo-Norman cruet, diminutive of Old French crue (“an earthen pot”), from Old Saxon krūka.
- A small bottle or container used to hold a condiment, such as oil, vinegar, salt, or pepper, for use at a dining table.
“Near-synonym: shaker (sometimes synonymous)”
“"By Jupiter there's vinegar!" I heard him say to his friend, after he had stood on tiptoe an immense time, and had been crushed and beaten on all sides. "And there's oil!! I saw them distinctly, in cruets! Can any gentleman, in front there, see mustard on the table? Sir, will you oblige me! Do you see a Mustard-Pot?"”
- A stand for these containers.
“He[…]even had a second slice of lamb, for he was hungry. During the meal, as was his custom, he read from a book propped up against the cruet.”
- A small vessel used to hold wine or water for the Eucharist.