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.
See Examples For:
A Singapore-flagged container ship has sunk after being struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to Singaporean authorities.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Camera and audio data is processed in a secure container on the processor, so neither Apple nor apps can access it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Average spot rate to ship a 40-foot container from Shanghai to Los Angeles in the week ended Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Combined, the two ports handled around 31% of all international waterborne container trade in the U.S. in 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
And then I spotted the little plastic container of dental floss—cinnamon, no less.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
They did not find any drugs, but vipers, rattlesnakes and other species of snakes and lizards, including iguanas, hidden in shampoo and cream bottles, plastic containers and balls of socks.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
“We open the containers, verify and see what merchandise has been switched out.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The port’s record September — totalling 1,042,652 containers — also represents the most volume ever moved through any port in the Western Hemisphere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
It is used in numerous everyday products, including food wrappers, storage containers, plastic packaging, and the linings of beverage cups.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
This is also where Dad stashed the antibiotics—various vials and pill containers in Ziploc bags.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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