retort, vessel used for distillation of substances that are placed inside and subjected to heat. The simple form of retort, used in some laboratories, is a glass or metal bulb having a long, curved spout through which the distillate may pass to enter a receiving vessel. The design dates back to the cucurbit (flask) used by medieval alchemists.
Large retorts are widely used in industry in separating gold from mercury in amalgams, in separating zinc-metal vapour from the smelted ore mixture, and in obtaining coke or gas from coal. Industrial retorts may be tall and thin or short and wide; some are of clay and some of iron.