crate

noun

ˈkrāt 

plural crates

1

a

: an open box typically of wooden slats or latticed plastic and used for transporting and storing goods

a crate of oranges

see also milk crate

b

: a usually wooden protective case or framework used for shipping

a packing crate

She purchased ten shipping crates made with wood edges and plastic-covered cardboard sides, all neatly broken down for easy assembly.

—Tom Clancy

2

: a usually box-shaped container or cage that has openings for airflow and that is used for confining or carrying animals (such as dogs or cats)

The store carries a variety of pet crates.

Teach children to let resting dogs lie and to stay out of dog crates, beds and other resting places that are designated for the dog.

—John Elder

3

informal + somewhat old-fashioned : a dilapidated old car or airplane

George Bernard's most immediate concern is not the war, but his failing car battery. He can hardly get his old crate cranked up, and a new battery costs $300 …

—Phil McCombs

From Blake: "I am not sure this crate will fly. Dump everything out." … In our compartment Doug yanks up his bombing sight, opens the floor hatch and tosses it.

—Williamson Murray

Synonyms of crate

• wreck
• hulk
• beater
• lemon
• jalopy

Examples of crate in a Sentence

The bear arrived at the zoo in a crate.

Each milk crate holds nine bottles.

They used a crate of oranges to make enough juice for everyone.

One day the old crate just wouldn't start.

Recent Examples on the Web

Merchants in fine suits rode in carriages or on sedan chairs while enslaved people lugging carts and crates wore dirty, threadbare clothing and could be publicly whipped or burned to death for misbehavior. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 9 June 2026

An American flag hangs at the front of Mohammad Ghafari’s Shater Abbass Bakery & Market along Westwood, where crates of pomegranates, oranges, watermelon and other fruit and vegetables crowd the sidewalk. —Pat Maio, Daily News, 7 June 2026

Mike Veeck, son of team owner Bill Veeck, hatched a plan to stop the hemorrhaging, inviting WLUP shock jock Steve Dahl to burn a crate of disco records on the field in the break between a White Sox and Detroit Tigers doubleheader. —Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 7 June 2026

They were jostled by men carrying heavy crates, cursed out by a man selling a pair of old boots, and viewed with suspicion by seemingly everyone else. —Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin cratis

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing crate

• crate-dig
• crate-train
• crate trained
• crate-training
• milk crate

Rhymes for crate

• ate
• bait
• bate
• cate
• date
• eight
• fait
• fate
• fete
• frate
• freight
• gait

Kids Definition

crate

1 of 2 noun

ˈkrāt 

: a box or frame of wooden slats or boards for packing or protecting something in shipment

crate

2 of 2 verb

crated; crating

: to pack in a crate