basket

American  

[bas-kit] / ˈbæs kɪt /

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.

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basket British  

/ 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

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basket Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing basket

• put all one's eggs in one basket

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Other Word Forms

• basketlike adjective
• unbasketlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of basket

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

Example Sentences

The refs reviewed the play and waved off the basket and the foul, saying they took place after time expired, triggering overtime.

From Los Angeles Times

Food shoppers have already seen a slow creep higher recently: The cost for a basket of food was up 2.6% year over year in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

From MarketWatch

In addition to her three-point shot improvement, around 60% of her points still come in the paint from driving to the basket, making her a threat all over the floor.

From Los Angeles Times

They didn’t get their first basket until the 8:59 mark of the first quarter.

From Los Angeles Times

“If I were a buyer, I would avoid putting all my eggs in the same basket, and buy from portfolio players” whose supply is not overly reliant on the U.S., he said.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• box
• crate