container
Americannoun
-
an object used for or capable of holding, esp for transport or storage, such as a carton, box, etc
-
-
a large cargo-carrying standard-sized container that can be loaded from one mode of transport to another
-
( as modifier )
a container port
a container ship
-
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of container
1400–50 for an earlier sense; 1495–1505 container for def. 1; late Middle English conteiner; see contain, -er 1
Explanation
A container holds things inside it. Bags, boxes, buckets, and pockets are all containers. The purpose of a container is to carry, hold, or store something. You might buy nuts at the grocery store, then bring them home and put them in a container, or you could put your leftover pasta in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for tomorrow's lunch. The thing all containers have in common is that they contain, or hold, things. Both words are rooted in the Latin continere, "to hold together or enclose."
Vocabulary lists containing container
"Earth and Space"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Introduction to Homeland Security," Vocabulary from Chapter 6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
Each consisted of a conical plastic container with a netted bottom and held one queen along with 60 worker bees.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
No-one was injured in the attack, with the fire immediately going out after the container landed in a car park.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
"It can quickly double for container freight" and "be even more drastic for bulk cargo", said Pierre Cossart, director of Sogestran Logistics.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Cool and store: Let the syrup cool, then transfer it to a jar with a lid or a deli container.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
"It's your call, either way. Where's this container?"
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
"We started with the grass, unwanted containers and the polytunnel and now we have all of this – we've got the pond, tree bed and vegetables as well," she explained.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
A well-known institution in Kyiv, the market moved to a permanent building in the early 2010s, where vendors rent small spaces or containers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
He added the DRS would "tackle litter while supporting the collection of high-quality recycled materials" and would "help provide a pathway towards the roll-out of reuseable drinks containers" in Wales.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Still, automakers that have no other choice will move cars in containers, Dessupoiu said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
But as he revised his text Galileo went on to represent objects floating in containers, such as a tank standing on a table top.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
