bin
noun
a box or enclosed place for storing grain, coal, or the like.
bin
1 American
[bin]
/ bɪn /
noun
-
bins
plural
verb (used with object)
-
bins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
binned,
past participle, past
-
binning
present participle
bin-
2
American
bin
1
British
/ bɪn /
noun
-
a large container or enclosed space for storing something in bulk, such as coal, grain, or wool
-
Also called: bread bin. a small container for bread
-
Also called: dustbin. rubbish bin. a container for litter, rubbish, etc
-
-
a storage place for bottled wine
-
one particular bottling of wine
-
verb
-
(tr) to store in a bin
-
(tr) to put in a wastepaper bin
bin-
2
British
prefix
Usage
What does bin- mean? Bin- is a combining form used like a prefix, and it means “two” or “two at a time.” While it appears in a variety of scientific terms, it’s also easily recognizable in everyday terms. Bin- comes from the Latin bīnī, meaning “two each” or “by twos.”Bin- is related to the combining form bi- and is used with some words or word elements beginning with vowels. These two forms have similar origins, and for that reason, the difference between the two is a small yet important nuance: bin- tends to mean “double,” while bi- often means “twice.” Want to know more? Read our Words That Use bi- article.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
binsimple
-
binssimple
-
have binnedperfect
-
has binnedperfect
-
am binningprogressive
-
are binningprogressive
-
is binningprogressive
-
have been binningperfect progressive
-
has been binningperfect progressive
Past
-
binnedsimple
-
had binnedperfect
-
was binningprogressive
-
were binningprogressive
-
had been binningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bin1
before 950; Middle English binne, Old English binn ( e ) crib, perhaps < Celtic; compare Welsh benn cart
Origin of bin-2
Combining form of Latin bīnī two each, by twos
Explanation
A bin is a box or other lidded container. You might store onions and potatoes in a vegetable bin in your kitchen. The noun bin is especially good for describing a specific kind of container, like a toy bin at a preschool or a compost bin on the counter. Bin is more commonly used in Britain than in the United States — a Londoner might say, "Oh, just throw that in the bin," while a New Yorker is more likely to say, "Throw it in the trash," or "Toss it in the garbage." The root word is the Old English binne, "basket."
Vocabulary lists containing bin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Vote counting was under way early Friday after an unusual English by-election shunned by mainstream parties, pitting influential hard-right leader Nigel Farage against Count Binface, a man with a rubbish bin on his head.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Analysts had anticipated a win for Farage but underestimated the appeal of the self-styled "intergalactic space warrior" from planet Sigma IX, who campaigns wearing a rubbish bin on his head.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Count Binface, the self-styled intergalactic space warrior, has again taken centre stage in UK politics, wearing a giant silver rubbish bin on his head.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
This week, the leader of our second-most-popular political party could be unseated in an election by a man who wears a floor-length cape and a bin over his head.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026
Inside, she reached into the bin for potatoes.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
The old and young rummage through garbage bins searching for something to eat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
They were formed with cones, shipping pallets, chairs, trash bins, or even neighbors inside a traffic circle.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
He steered pallet movers with stacks of plastic bins and cardboard boxes across the sprawling space.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
I was the first person in the economy cabin and had my pick of overhead bins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
And there were still two banged-up bronze bulls to dispose of, which I didn’t figure would fit in our normal recycling bins.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
There was still 30 seconds left to play when the invasion happened, but that time was binned in the chaos.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
Another said their opposition was "non-negotiable" and the reforms needed to be "binned" rather than mitigated.
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
However, Quins had fly-half Smith binned in the second half and La Rochelle took advantage to draw level through unconverted tries by former England wing Jack Nowell and scrum-half Thomas Berjon.
From Barron's ● Jan. 18, 2026
Clement won a League Cup, took some notable European scalps, drew with Europa League winners Spurs, and only lost in added time to Europa League runners-up, Manchester United, but still got binned.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2025
He swept a hand across the campfires that binned from horizon to horizon.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
A mother says penalties for binning batteries should be clearer after being handed a "soul-destroying" £11,500 fine.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2026
"Together, we pioneered the trio binning method for genome assembly. This approach was also published in Nature Communications."
From Science Daily ● Jan. 12, 2026
Firstly binning one of his key investment pledges — or at least its headline number, £28bn.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2024
This new information about olfactory genes in cats was made possible through a new approach to genome sequencing called trio binning, which allows researchers to sequence the most difficult regions of a genome.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2023
The special binning service from their own elevators the farmers found genuine, not just a last-minute privilege granted to secure their grain.
From Deep Furrows by Hopkins Moorhouse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
