container
Americannoun
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an object used for or capable of holding, esp for transport or storage, such as a carton, box, etc
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a large cargo-carrying standard-sized container that can be loaded from one mode of transport to another
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( as modifier )
a container port
a container ship
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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"
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"Introduction to Homeland Security," Vocabulary from Chapter 6
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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.
Their yolks stay creamy without becoming runny, which means you get all the richness of a soft-boiled egg without worrying about a container full of liquid gold sloshing around in your tote bag.
From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026
A Hapag-Lloyd container ship chartered to Maersk was one of several vessels reportedly struck by Iran during the war.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
Short-term contract rates to ship an ocean container from China, Japan and South Korea to the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
Four Indian sailors have been stranded for months on an abandoned container ship off Istanbul, unable to leave under maritime rules requiring the vessel to remain manned, inspectors said on Friday.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Nancy smiled as she handed Barry the container.
From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene
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.
