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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

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

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verb (used with object)

binned, binning

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

• unbinned
  adjective

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

Stellantis dealerships are now in the bargain bin, selling for a fraction of the cost of blue-chip brands like Toyota.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Apple, by contrast, had devolved into a catch-all bin of ill-conceived product offerings driven by obsolete software.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

"I came out to put the bin out and he said 'hello' and I said 'hello' back and he continued playing his music."

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Using his drone camera, he spotted a person - Singaporean hiker Shahin Muhrez bin Abdul Hamid - lying on the ground near the crater.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

I dropped the rest of the newspaper in the bin and hurried out to catch up with Hannie.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler