Meanings
plural Leyden jars · alternative Leiden jar
- historicalbusinessA glass jar or bottle used to accumulate static electricity between two electrodes.
1 more example
Cavendish analyzed the mathematics of musical intervals, formulated the theory of electrical potential, and was the first scientist to realize that a solution’s electrical conductivity varies with its concentration. He proposed that a long-tailed fish called the torpedo was able to generate its own current like a living battery, and then proved it by sculpting an artificial fish in his lab out of shoe leather, pewter plates, glass tubes, and sheepskin and hooking it up to Leyden jars, creating a perfect simulation of the fish’s electrical organs.
2015, Steve Silberman, chapter 1, in Megan Newman, editor, NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, New York: Avery, →ISBN, page 22Synonyms: Leyden phial, Kleistian jar
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA glass jar or bottle used to accumulate static electricity between two electrodes.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan electrostatic capacitor of historical interest
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Named after the city of Leiden (in the Netherlands), where it was invented.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic قَارُورَة لَيْدَن
- قَارُورَة لَيْدَنglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Basque Leyden ontzi, Leyden botila
- Leyden ontziglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- Leyden botilaglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Bulgarian лайденска стъкленица
- лайденска стъкленица (lajdenska stăklenica)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Catalan ampolla de Leiden
- ampolla de Leidenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Chinese Mandarin 萊頓瓶 /莱顿瓶, 來登瓶 /来登瓶
- 萊頓瓶 /莱顿瓶 (Láidùn píng)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- 來登瓶 /来登瓶 (Láidēng píng)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Czech leidenská láhev
- leidenská láhevglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Danish leydnerflaske, Leydens flaske
- leydnerflaskeglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- Leydens flaskeglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Dutch Leidse fles
- Leidse flesglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Esperanto botelo de Leiden
- botelo de Leidenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Estonian Leideni purk
- Leideni purkglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Finnish Leidenin pullo, Leydenin pullo
- Leidenin pulloglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- Leydenin pulloglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
French bouteille de Leyde
- bouteille de Leydeglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
German Leidener Flasche, Kleistsche Flasche
- Leidener Flascheglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- Kleistsche Flascheglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- Kondensationsflascheglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- Flaschenkondensatorglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Greek φιάλη του Λέιντεν, λουγδουνική λάγηνος
- φιάλη του Λέιντεν (fiáli tou Léinten)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- λουγδουνική λάγηνος (lougdounikí láginos)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Hungarian leideni palack
- leideni palackglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Indonesian Tabung Leyden, Tabung Leiden
- Tabung Leydenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- Tabung Leidenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Irish crúsca Leyden
- crúsca Leydenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Italian bottiglia di Leida
- bottiglia di Leidaglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Japanese ライデン瓶
- ライデン瓶 (Raiden-bin)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Korean 라이덴병
- 라이덴병 (Raidenbyeong)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Norwegian Bokmål leidnerflaske, leydnerflaske
- leidnerflaskeglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- leydnerflaskeglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Polish butelka lejdejska
- butelka lejdejskaglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Portuguese garrafa de Leyden, garrafa de Leiden
- garrafa de Leydenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- garrafa de Leidenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- garrafa de Leidaglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Romanian butelie de Leyda
- butelie de Leydaglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Russian ле́йденская ба́нка
- ле́йденская ба́нка (léjdenskaja bánka)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Spanish botella de Leyden, botella de Leiden
- botella de Leydenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- botella de Leidenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Swedish leidenflaska, leidnerflaska
- leidenflaskaglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- leidnerflaskaglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- kleistsk flaskaglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Tamil லேய்டின் கொள்கலன்
- லேய்டின் கொள்கலன் (lēyṭiṉ koḷkalaṉ)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Turkish Leyden kavanozu
- Leyden kavanozuglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Ukrainian ле́йденська ба́нка
- ле́йденська ба́нка (léjdensʹka bánka)glass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Vietnamese chai Leiden, chai Leyden
- chai Leidenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
- chai Leydenglass jar used to accumulate static electricity
Cite this entry
Leyden jar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Leyden%20jar
“Leyden jar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Leyden%20jar. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Leyden jar,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Leyden%20jar.
Source: Leyden jar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.