An alchemical or distillation vessel, typically gourd-shaped or round-bottomed, used for chemical processes.
From Latin cucurbita (gourd, squash), named for its resemblance to a gourd's shape. Alchemists borrowed the term because the vessel mimicked the plant's curved form.
Medieval alchemists literally named their equipment after vegetables—the 'cucurb' was a gourd-shaped flask because it actually looked like a gourd, showing how everyday objects inspired scientific apparatus.
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