container

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noun con·tain·er \ kən-ˈtā-nər \

Definition of container

:one that contains: such as

a :a receptacle (such as a box or jar) for holding goods

b :a portable compartment in which freight is placed (as on a train or ship) for convenience of movement

—

containerless

play \kən-ˈtā-nər-ləs\ adjective

See container defined for English-language learners

See container defined for kids

Examples of container in a Sentence

The tea leaves come in a small metal container.
bowls, boxes, jars, and other containers
The shipment of tools arrived at the dock in cargo containers yesterday.

Recent Examples of container from the Web

The restriction would not apply to packages with multiple containers, like six-packs or cases.

— hal dardick, chicagotribune.com, "Beale urges ride-sharing driver fingerprinting, surge pricing limits," 30 Aug. 2017
The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. Sunday when someone entered the store in the 11700 block of Beltsville Drive in Beltsville with a container filled with liquid and lit it on fire, a statement from the fire department said.

— Washington Post, "Two liquor store employees burned after molotov cocktail ignited in shop," 30 Aug. 2017
A freight container impedes a gas station entrance.

— linda robertson, miamiherald, "They put everything into their taco shop. The mess outside is destroying it all," 28 Aug. 2017
In the photo, Prince is in her shoe room, surrounded by hundreds of clear plastic containers, each showcasing a pair.

— kelly whiteside, New York Times, "Not a Single W.N.B.A. Star Has a Shoe Line to Call Her Own," 25 Aug. 2017
The chef, who goes by Negishsan, can be heard frying the tempura, and a few moments later Watanabe has managed to fit it all, even the long green beans, inside a Styrofoam container secured with a rubber band.

— patric kuh, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Last Bento-Ya in Boyle Heights Transports Diners to the Neighborhood’s Past," 25 Aug. 2017
Since its founding in 2013, AFM has traveled to Africa for 16 missions, collected and shipped containers filled with bunker gear and training materials for fire stations in Africa and taken volunteers to Africa to provide training.

— jennie key, Cincinnati.com, "Africa Fire Mission links the brotherhood of firefighters on two continents," 21 Aug. 2017
Backpacks for students are stuffed with glue sticks, crayons, pens and pencils, notebooks, composition books, pencil sharpeners and a container for supplies.

— andrew michaels, Laurel Leader, "Laurel back-to-school event gets school supplies to students in need," 16 Aug. 2017
Visitors with open containers of alcohol can go anywhere within the fairgrounds fence, according to Alice Archer, the secretary-treasurer of the fair board.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Enjoy a beer, sample some whiskey at the Harford County Farm Fair," 27 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'container.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of container

15th century

container Synonyms

Synonyms

holder, receptacle, vessel

Related Words

carrier; cartridge; basket, bin, box, caddy, carton, case, casket, crate, handbasket, locker, trunk; bag, hamper, pocket, sack; cooler, warmer; basin, bottle, bowl, bucket, can, jar, jug, keg, kettle, kit, pack, pail, pitcher, pot, tub, vat

CONTAINER Defined for English Language Learners

container

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noun

Definition of container for English Language Learners

: an object (such as a box or can) that can hold something
: a large box that goods are placed in so that they can be moved from one place to another on a ship, airplane, train, or truck