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• bin
  bin

  noun

  a box or enclosed place for storing grain, coal, or the like.
• bin-
  bin-

  a combining form meaning “two,” “two at a time,” used in the formation of compound words.

bin

¹ American  

[bin] / bɪn /

noun

• bins
  plural

1. a box or enclosed place for storing grain, coal, or the like.

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verb (used with object)

• bins,
  present (3rd person singular)
• binned,
  past participle,  past
• binning
  present participle

1. to store in a bin.

bin- ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “two,” “two at a time,” used in the formation of compound words.

   binary; binocular.

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bin ¹ British  

/ bɪn /

noun

1. a large container or enclosed space for storing something in bulk, such as coal, grain, or wool

2. Also called: bread bin.  a small container for bread

3. Also called: dustbin.   rubbish bin.  a container for litter, rubbish, etc

4. 1. a storage place for bottled wine

   2. one particular bottling of wine

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verb

1. (tr) to store in a bin

2. (tr) to put in a wastepaper bin

bin- ² British  

prefix

1. a variant, esp before a vowel, of bi- 1

   binocular

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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

• unbinned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bins
  plural

Participles

• binning
  present
• binned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bin
  simple
• bins
  simple
• have binned
  perfect
• has binned
  perfect
• am binning
  progressive
• are binning
  progressive
• is binning
  progressive
• have been binning
  perfect progressive
• has been binning
  perfect progressive

Past

• binned
  simple
• had binned
  perfect
• was binning
  progressive
• were binning
  progressive
• had been binning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bin
  simple
• will have binned
  perfect
• will be binning
  progressive
• will have been binning
  perfect progressive

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bin bins binned binning

Pro tip: In the months leading up to the move, I also saved boxes from deliveries I received, instead of hauling them downstairs to the recycling bin.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

The beginning of Infantino’s fall may have started last year at the White House when he and Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo attended a black-tie dinner to honor Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Trump delivered that message after speaking with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Then, when he was eight, Barce picked up a tennis racket from the bin and started practising.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The woman scooped an armful of tutus from a bin and dumped them in Penelope’s arms.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Billionaires don’t keep their wealth locked in Scrooge McDuck-style money bins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

They were formed with cones, shipping pallets, chairs, trash bins, or even neighbors inside a traffic circle.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

In the midmorning heat, hundreds of people lined up outside a San Joaquin Valley farm this week to get their haul from large blue bins filled with thousands of bright red nectarines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

L.A. is the first major city to provide green bins to 750,000 residential customers, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

I walk the cafeteria perimeter to my table from last year, in the corner near the trash and recycling bins.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari

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

Then, Ronan Kelleher came up offside and got binned.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2025

Ramos made it 3-0 with the boot early on and, amid the next French onslaught, Ritchie got binned.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 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

England prop Joe Marler has deactivated his X account after posting that the haka "needs binning" before Saturday's match against New Zealand.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 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

Beyond some concessions regarding special binning of grain, nothing came of this trip apparently, although the Western farmers were supported strongly by the Dominion Millers' Association.

From Deep Furrows by Hopkins Moorhouse