bell jar: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowSlightly formal; technical in scientific contexts; literary in metaphorical use.
Quick answer
What does “bell jar” mean?
A bell-shaped glass container used as a cover to protect or display objects, or to create a sealed environment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A bell-shaped glass container used as a cover to protect or display objects, or to create a sealed environment.
A metaphorical term for a state of isolation, protection, or suffocating restriction, often from social or emotional influences.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. UK usage may slightly more frequently refer to the laboratory equipment 'bell jar' in formal science contexts.
Connotations
Identical connotations. Metaphorical use is universally understood in literary/academic circles.
Frequency
Very low frequency in everyday conversation in both regions. More likely encountered in literary or scientific discussion.
Grammar
How to Use “bell jar” in a Sentence
[verb] + bell jar (e.g., place, cover with, remove, live under)bell jar + [prepositional phrase] (e.g., of isolation, over the specimen)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bell jar” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The verb form is not standard. The concept is expressed as 'to place under a bell jar'.
American English
- The verb form is not standard. The concept is expressed as 'to bell-jar something' is non-standard.
adverb
British English
- Not used as an adverb.
American English
- Not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- A bell-jar existence (hyphenated compound adjective).
American English
- A bell-jar mentality (hyphenated compound adjective).
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Potentially metaphorical for an isolated department or mindset.
Academic
Used in literature (metaphor) and physical sciences (literal equipment).
Everyday
Very rare. May be used by gardeners (cloche) or in discussing Plath's novel.
Technical
A piece of laboratory equipment used with a vacuum pump or to protect specimens.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bell jar”
- Writing as one word: 'belljar'. Confusing with 'bell tower' or 'jam jar'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a two-word compound noun, though it is sometimes hyphenated when used as an adjective (e.g., bell-jar effect).
They are similar. A cloche is typically a bell-shaped glass cover for plants or food. A bell jar is often taller and used more in laboratories or for displaying objects.
Sylvia Plath used it as a metaphor for the protagonist's feeling of trapped isolation, suffocation, and mental illness, separated from the world by a transparent yet impenetrable barrier.
No, it is not a standard verb. You would use phrases like 'place under a bell jar' or 'shield with a bell jar'.
A bell-shaped glass container used as a cover to protect or display objects, or to create a sealed environment.
Bell jar is usually slightly formal; technical in scientific contexts; literary in metaphorical use. in register.
Bell jar: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbel ˌdʒɑː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbel ˌdʒɑːr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To live under a bell jar”
- “A bell jar existence”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a large JAR that is shaped like a BELL, used to cover something fragile.
Conceptual Metaphor
ISOLATION / PROTECTION IS A TRANSPARENT BARRIER; MENTAL SUFFOCATION IS BEING TRAPPED UNDER GLASS.
Practice
Quiz
What is the most common metaphorical meaning of 'bell jar'?