Definition of container noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary



    BrE BrE//kənˈteɪnə(r)//
    ; NAmE NAmE//kənˈteɪnər//
    Trains, Parts of boats and ships
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  1. 1  a box, bottle, etc. in which something can be stored or transported Food will last longer if kept in an airtight container.
  2. 2a large metal or wooden box of a standard size in which goods are packed so that they can easily be lifted onto a ship, train, etc. to be transported a container ship (= one designed to transport such containers) See related entries: Trains, Parts of boats and ships
  3. Extra examples Fill the container with water. Keep the seeds in an airtight container. Store food in durable containers with lids. Tubes are the ideal container for paint as air is excluded. a container holding five gallons a container of milk childproof containers for dangerous substances containers holding shipments of bananas It’s a thirty thousand tonne container ship.
See the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary entry: container