basket

bas-ket · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A container made of interwoven strips of cane, wire, or other flexible material.

  2. 2.

    The quantity contained in a basket.

  3. 3.

    [basketball]The hoop and net through which players shoot the ball; also, a successful shot.

  4. 4.

    [economics]A group of items or currencies used as a reference.

  5. 5.

    [informal]A person regarded as hopeless or beyond help (in "basket case").

Forms

plural: baskets

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    basket case — Someone or something in a hopeless condition.
  • •
    put all your eggs in one basket — Risk everything on a single venture.
  • •
    shopping basket — A container for items while shopping.
  • •
    wastepaper basket — A container for discarded paper.
  • •
    bread basket — The stomach (informal); a fertile agricultural region.

Related words

See also: basketball, bin, container, hamper
Synonyms: bin, container, hamper

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman French bascat, of uncertain origin, possibly Celtic.