basket

[bas-kit]

noun

1. a container made of twigs, rushes, thin strips of wood, or other flexible material woven together.

2. a container made of pieces of thin veneer, used for packing berries, vegetables, etc.

3. the amount contained in a basket; a basketful.

   to pick a basket of apples.

4. anything like a basket in shape or use.

   He never empties my wastepaper basket.

5. any group of things or different things grouped as a unit; a package; package deal.

   You can't buy the single stock; you have to take the basket—all companies, stocks and bonds.

6. the car or gondola suspended beneath a balloon, as for carrying passengers or scientific instruments into the atmosphere.

7. Basketball.

   1. an open net suspended from a metal rim attached to the backboard and through which the ball must pass in order for a player to score points.

   2. a score, counting two for a field goal and one for a free throw.

8. Also called snow ring. Skiing.,  a ring strapped to the base of a ski pole to limit penetration of the pole in the snow.

9. Slang: Vulgar.,  the male genitals, especially when outlined by a tight-fitting garment.

basket

/ ˈbɑːskɪt /

noun

1. a container made of interwoven strips of pliable materials, such as cane, straw, thin wood, or plastic, and often carried by means of a handle or handles

2. Also called: basketful. the amount a basket will hold

3. something resembling such a container in appearance or function, such as the structure suspended from a balloon

4. basketball

   1. an open horizontal metal hoop fixed to the backboard, through which a player must throw the ball to score points

   2. a point or points scored in this way

5. a group or collection of similar of related things

   a basket of currencies

6. informal,  a euphemism for bastard bastard

7. the list of items an internet shopper chooses to buy at one time from a website

   add these items to your basket

Other Word Forms

• basketlike adjective
• unbasketlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of basket¹

1250–1300; Middle English basket ( te ) < early Romance *baskauta (> French dialect bâchot, bachou wooden or interwoven vessel, Old High German baskiza box) < Latin bascauda basin, perhaps < British Celtic

Word History and Origins

Origin of basket¹

C13: probably from Old Northern French baskot (unattested), from Latin bascauda basketwork holder, of Celtic origin

Idioms and Phrases

• put all one's eggs in one basket

Example Sentences

But these days, those workouts seem as old-fashioned as hucking a leather ball into a peach basket.

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In the foreground, an indigenous woman carrying a baby in her arms and a basket on her back, accompanied by a young boy and his dogs, traverses the rocky terrain.

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On July 1, John Tinsman of AOT Invest, an asset manager in Davenport, Iowa, launched 2x Daily Software Platform, an ETF seeking to double the daily return of a basket of technology companies.

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The dollar is down more than 10% from January’s high against a basket of major currencies.

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The name "kagome metal" comes from the Japanese word "kagome," meaning "basket eyes" or "basket pattern," which refers to a traditional bamboo weaving technique that creates interlocking triangular designs.

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Related Words

• box 
• crate