receptacle

noun

re·​cep·​ta·​cle ri-ˈsep-ti-kəl 

1

: one that receives and contains something : container

2

[New Latin receptaculum, from Latin]

a

: the end of the flower stalk upon which the floral organs are borne

b

: a structure or tissue (as of a fungus or fern) bearing spores or sporangia

3

: a mounted female electrical fitting that contains the live parts of the circuit

Synonyms of receptacle

• container

Examples of receptacle in a Sentence

She used the box as a receptacle for her jewelry.

place all wrappers in the trash receptacles at the entrances of the theater

Recent Examples on the Web

Now the cruelty that defines our attitudes toward children has a receptacle in social media. —Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025

Items under consideration include benches, decorative paving and trash receptacles. —Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025

Summerlin let a correctional officer know that the packages with the extra bombs would not fit in the mail receptacle and revealed explosive devices were inside, according to prosecutors. —Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025

Those rules are quite strict, Burton said, even requiring the labels be torn off plastic water bottles and put in a separate receptacle. —Joan Michelson, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin receptaculum, from receptare to receive, frequentative of recipere to receive

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for receptacle

• sceptical
• skeptical

Kids Definition

receptacle

noun

re·​cep·​ta·​cle ri-ˈsep-ti-kəl 

1

: something used to receive and contain smaller objects : container

2

: the enlarged end of a flower stalk upon which the parts of the flower grow