High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A vacuum flask, colloquially called a thermos after a ubiquitous brand, is a storage vessel which provides thermal insulation by interposing a partial vacuum between the contents and the ambient environment. The evacuated region of the partial vacuum removes material that could serve as a heat conductor or carrier, enabling the flask to keep its contents hotter or cooler than its surroundings. Vacuum flasks are commonly used as insulated shipping containers.