noun
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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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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.
The Justice Department indicted four shipping container manufacturers, alleging that they conspired to restrict the output and fix prices of shipping containers for at least four years.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
"In the long run, it may well be competing to become the container handling hub in the entire Indo-Pacific region," Joshi said, rivalling Singapore and Malaysia's Port Klang.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
The concept of packing aesthetically pleasing snacks in a container isn’t new.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
Eleven weeks into the war, container shipping disruptions are more acute than at the start of the conflict, she said.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
Fly and I are together inside a spacecraft container that was housed inside the rocket.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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.
