Descriptionary

Tantra yoga a sensual form of yoga, most noted for its use of a sacred sexual union.

tapas the warming of the body through stretches and postures to burn off toxins or release them through perspiration.

upward dog from a prone position, a posture in which the body is supported by the hands, thighs, and backs of the feet on the floor, while the torso is arched upward and the head pointed toward the ceiling, reminiscent of a dog stretching.

vinyasa the combination of breath and movement.

yogashala a yoga house; a special place where yoga is practiced.

yogi one who practices yoga. yogini a female practitioner of yoga.

T

apparatus

ampule a small glass vial, most often used to hold pharmaceutical hypodermic solutions. Also known as an ampoule.

autoclave a pressurized appliance used to sterilize items by raising internal temperatures to above the boiling point.

barometer an instrument for measuring atmo­spheric pressure.

beaker a cylindrical glass vessel with a wide mouth.

bell jar a bell-shaped vessel, open at the bottom, for containing gases and other tasks.

Buchner funnel a funnel in which a filter paper is inserted and used in filtering substances by suction.

Bunsen burner an apparatus that produces a gas flame, used to heat substances.

burette a cylindrical, test tube-like vessel, with vol­ume measurements along its side and a stopcock at its bottom, for precisely dispensing liquids.

calorimeter a device for measuring the heat released during chemical reactions.

centrifuge a device that rotates substances in order to separate their individual constituents, particularly lighter ones from denser ones.

cold finger a finger-shaped apparatus used to pro­duce a cold surface.

condenser a large glass tube containing another tube through which hot liquids and gases pass to distill.

crucible a cup or bowl-shaped vessel, usually porce­lain or metal, used to hold chemical mixtures heated to very high temperatures.

desiccator a heavy glass bowl or pot with a tight- fitting lid and sometimes a stopper for drawing out air, used with a desiccant to prevent moisture from contaminating a substance.

Erlenmeyer flask a flask with a conical base.

evaporating dish a flat, open dish used to facilitate the evaporation of liquids.

flask a vessel that comes in various shapes and sizes but is generally wide-bodied with a narrowing neck.

fleaker a flat-bottomed vessel with a narrow neck and flared rim, for holding liquids.

funnel a laboratory vessel with a very broad mouth and a narrow neck, used to ease the pouring of liquid between containers without spilling.

glove box a sealed, largely transparent box with two holes for inserting one's hands into attached gloves, through which one may perform tasks without breaking the airtight seal, for working in a vacuum or to protect oneself from hazardous chemicals.

graduated cylinder a glass or polypropylene vessel with volume measurements on the side.

hydrometer a cylindrical device used to measure the density of a liquid.

litmus test a test of pH of a substance, performed with dyed filter paper or a solution of litmus in water. Blue litmus turns red when exposed to acid and red litmus turns blue when exposed to an alkaline substance. A neutral substance turns litmus paper purple.

mortar a hardened bowl in which substances are crushed, usually with a pestle.

pestle an implement used to crush substances in a mortar.

petri dish a shallow dish used to culture cells.

pipette similar to a dropper, a cylindrical vessel that uses a vacuum component for drawing up or dispens­ing precise amounts of fluids.

pycnometer a stoppered flask with a capillary tube for siphoning out air bubbles, used for determining fluid densities.

retort a glass vessel with a long, bent-over neck and a bubblelike container, for heating and distilling liquids.

still an apparatus in which liquids are distilled, that is, heated, boiled, and cooled to condense the vapors. Most notably used to concentrate alcohol content.

Syracuse watch glass a shallow, flat-bottomed dish.

test tube a glass tube, open at the top, that holds liquids, especially during heating. Also known as a culture tube.

thermometer a meter or device used to measure temperature.

vacuum chamber any enclosed space, such as in a glovebox, in which air may be removed by a vacuum pump.

Woulff bottle a two or three-necked bottle used for absorbing gases.

cutting tools and knives

glass cutter a toothbrush-shaped metal tool with a notched head and a small cutting wheel, used for scoring and cutting glass.

hawk's bill snips tin snips used for cutting tight circles.