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container

container

245 1.3
A thing that holds or stores items, for example a box
  • noun
  • /kənˈteɪnər/
translation icon : contenedor
  • Please put the leftovers in a plastic container before refrigerating them.
  • shipping containers
  • plastic containers
  • reusable containers

Don't trust any pressurized containers in this room.

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Examples

  • Why don't you go get a nice container of egg rolls?

  • Once she'd retrieved it, she put it into a plastic container to avoid scratching it.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • But this is actually one of the largest container yards in Europe.

  • I thought I ordered one container with a lid, did I not?

  • Everything fits in this one giant container and it looks so nice.

  • Near the stove, there is a plastic container where my mother keeps the tea.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I took this photo of one of the shipping containers.

  • Once the water has been cleaned, it must be stored in a container with a narrow top.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The shipping company uses large containers to transport goods across the ocean.

  • After emptying the jars, she placed the leftover paint in a sealed container to keep it fresh.

Synonyms

bag
vscontainer
1.0

A flexible container for carrying personal things like books or clothes

is broader and often refers to rigid or standardized units for shipping and storage
box
vscontainer
1.0

A usually rectangular container with a lid for holding things or the amount it holds

is wider in meaning, including large standardized metal units for shipment
case
vscontainer
1.0

A box or container for holding and carrying things like bottles

focuses more on general storage and shipment rather than protection emphasis
tank
vscontainer
596 1.0

A large container that holds liquids or gases

is broader, applying to many solid goods and standard shipping uses
suitcase
vscontainer
356 1.0

A large box with a handle for carrying clothes when you travel

is wider in meaning, not limited to personal travel or portable luggage
basket
vscontainer
288 1.0

A container made by weaving thin pieces of material with handles for carrying things

is more general, covering many rigid or soft objects for storage and transport
jar
vscontainer
207 1.0

A wide glass or clay container for storing food

is less about small food preserving pots and more about large shipping units
crate
vscontainer
189 1.7

A strong wooden box for storing or moving things and the amount inside it

is more general, covering many shapes and materials for holding things
tin
vscontainer
113 1.0

A metal container for keeping food or small things

is often larger and standardized for shipping bulky goods rather than food
trunk
vscontainer
110 3.3

A large strong box for keeping clothes and other things

is more general, covering many items and shipping uses beyond travel gear
packet
vscontainer
101 1.8

A small package for items like seeds or papers

is larger in scale and can refer to heavy standardized units for shipping
holder
vscontainer
73 1.4

A thing that holds or supports other objects, like a pen stand

is broader, including large items used for shipment or long term storage
vessel
vscontainer
57 3.2

A container that holds liquids like a bowl or cup

is broader, including solid goods and large standardized shipping items
cardboard box
vscontainer
37 1.0

A box made of cardboard used for packing or storing things

is less specific about material and sometimes about size or strength
hamper
vscontainer
31 1.9

A large basket with a lid used to carry or store clothes

is broader in meaning, not limited to laundry or picnic storage use
toolbox
vscontainer
28 1.1

A box used to store and carry hand tools like hammers

is more general, applying to many storage and shipping purposes beyond tools
cylinder
vscontainer
26 3.5

A metal container shaped like a tube that holds gas under pressure

is less specific, covering many sizes and materials for general storage
receptacle
vscontainer
10 5.3

A container for holding things like bottles or paper

is narrower in shipping sense, while this term fits many settings
storage tank
vscontainer
8 3.1

A large container that holds liquids like water in factories or farms

is more general, covering boxes and small items rather than only liquids
plastic container
vscontainer
7 1.3

A plastic box for keeping or carrying things

is often heavier duty and can be metal and standardized for shipping
cargo container
vscontainer
6 3.1

A large metal box used to carry goods on ships, trains, or trucks

applies generally to objects for holding, storing, or moving things
mailer
vscontainer
6 2.4

A container like an envelope or box used to send things by post

is broader, including items for storage or movement beyond postal use
gun case
vscontainer
3 2.7

A container that holds and protects a gun for carrying or storing

is broader, covering many general storage and transport items beyond weapons
hatbox
vscontainer
3 6.1

A round hard box used to store or carry hats

is more general, not limited to shaped cases for single clothing items
packing box
vscontainer
1 1.0

A large strong container used to hold things for moving or storage

focuses on general use for holding or moving many different items
packing case
vscontainer
1 2.3

A large strong box used to hold goods for storage or shipping

is broader, applying to objects used for holding or transporting things
carrier bag
vscontainer
  • UK
1 1.7

A bag shops give you to carry things you buy home

is wider, covering heavy duty shipping units as well as small everyday holders
cheesebox
vscontainer
7.8

A small wooden box for cheese or, historically, a small armored shelter

is broader and not restricted to foodstuffs or historical meanings

Compounds

A plastic box for keeping or carrying things

A large metal box used to carry goods on ships, trains, or trucks

A large ship that carries many shipping containers

container vessel
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A large ship that carries many shipping containers across the sea

A small metal or plastic can that holds liquid under pressure and sprays it as a fine mist

airless container
  • Specialized
5.6

A sealed container with no air inside that keeps things fresh

How Big

container
245 1.3
crate
189 1.7
box
1.0
jar
207 1.0
pouch
72 2.1

Surface Forms

container singular
containers plural

Morphology

container = contain (transparent) = contain + er

Standard agent/instrument nominalization from the verb 'contain' yielding 'something that contains'.

Etymology

Container comes from the parts con- 'together' and tenere 'to hold', the same root as the word retain. So a container is literally something that 'holds' or keeps things inside, like a box or a shipping container.