receptacle
Americannoun
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a container, device, etc., that receives or holds something.
a receptacle for trash.
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Botany. the modified or expanded portion of the stem or axis that bears the organs of a single flower or the florets of a flower head.
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Electricity. a contact device installed at an outlet for the connection of a portable lamp, appliance, or other electric device by means of a plug and flexible cord.
noun
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an object that holds something; container
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botany
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the enlarged or modified tip of the flower stalk that bears the parts of the flower
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the shortened flattened stem bearing the florets of the capitulum of composite flowers such as the daisy
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the part of lower plants that bears the reproductive organs or spores
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The enlarged upper end of a flower stalk that bears the flower or group of flowers. The fleshy edible part of an apple is actually a modified receptacle.
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See more at flower
Etymology
Origin of receptacle
1375–1425; Middle English (< Old French ) < Latin receptāculum reservoir, equivalent to receptā ( re ) to take again, receive back (frequentative of recipere to receive ) + -culum -cle 2
Explanation
A receptacle is a container that's used for holding or storing things. If you are having a party on a rainy day, you can put a receptacle outside your door for your guests' umbrellas. The noun receptacle means any kind of container. For example, a trash receptacle holds your garbage and a receptacle for loose change can keep you from scattering coins all over your house. In botany, receptacle refers to the part of a stem that holds a plant's organs. The word receptacle comes from the Latin root word receptaculum, which describes a place to receive and store things.
Vocabulary lists containing receptacle
The Giver
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The Lightning Thief
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Fences
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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.
“As astonished observers have not ceased pointing out, the combination of round receptacle jutting into an upright wall unmistakably resembles a huge toilet.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
At the end of the day, a platform is a receptacle for posts; it is up to us what we do with it.
From Slate • Jun. 12, 2025
L.A.’s devastating fires are only the latest episode in which the ocean has served as an unappreciated receptacle for trash and hazards originating on land.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2025
It was a partnership with a reusable packaging and logistics company called Reusables.com, which provided Tailwind and another Seattle area store, Cloud City Coffee, with branded cups and a QR code-operated drop-off receptacle.
From Salon • May 2, 2024
When I regained my balance, I bounded down the tiered steps, pausing briefly to drop my anklet into a trash receptacle.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
