basket

basket — noun

1. an open holder, usually woven from flexible strips, for putting things in or tak

1.nounB1
Definition

an open holder, usually woven from flexible strips, for putting things in or taking them somewhere

Example

Ella put the warm bread in a basket on the table.

put something in a basket

A blue bike basket held Sam's school bag and lunch box.

compound noun: bike basket

Common collocations
  • picnic basket
  • laundry basket
  • bike basket
  • bread basket
  • covered basket
Synonyms
  • hamper

    usually larger and often used for clothes, laundry, or gift sets

  • bin

    often harder-sided and less associated with weaving

  • tray

    flatter and more open, for carrying rather than storing

Grammar Patterns

put something in a basket

carry something in a basket

basket for something

Usage Note

Often names a container for food, flowers, clothes, or small goods. Distinguish from sense 2, where basket refers to the amount inside rather than the container itself.

Common Mistakes

She carried the apples by a basket.
She carried the apples in a basket.
use in when the basket is the container holding something.

2. the amount that fills one basket

2.noun
Definition

the amount that fills one basket

Example

By noon, Rosa had picked a basket of beans from the garden.

a basket of + plural noun

Two baskets of oranges stood by the shop door at dawn.

Common collocations
  • a basket of apples
  • a basket of beans
  • two baskets of oranges
  • half a basket
  • one basket of pears
Synonyms
  • basketful

    more exact for one full basket

  • amount

    much broader and not tied to a container

  • load

    more general and often suggests a larger quantity

Grammar Patterns

a basket of something

two baskets of something

Usage Note

Usually appears in phrases like a basket of apples or three baskets of tomatoes. The focus is on quantity, not on the container described in sense 1.

Common Mistakes

We bought a basket apples.
We bought a basket of apples.
this quantity sense normally uses basket of + noun.

3. the part of a shopping website where selected items stay until you pay for them

3.noun
Definition

the part of a shopping website where selected items stay until you pay for them

Example

Click here to add the shoes to your basket.

add something to your basket

My basket still held the lamp I almost bought last night.

Common collocations
  • add to basket
  • remove from basket
  • empty basket
  • abandoned basket
  • save your basket
Synonyms
  • cart

    especially common on North American shopping sites

  • shopping cart

    more explicit and slightly longer than basket

Grammar Patterns

add something to your basket

remove something from your basket

your basket is empty

Usage Note

Used for online shopping rather than physical containers. In North American English, cart or shopping cart is often more common for the same website feature.

Common Mistakes

The toy is on my basket.
The toy is in my basket.
items go in the online basket before payment.

4. in basketball, the hoop and net that players aim at, or one successful shot thro

4.noun
Definition

in basketball, the hoop and net that players aim at, or one successful shot through it

Example

The ball hit the front of the basket and bounced away.

basket = hoop and net

Ava made the winning basket with two seconds left.

make a basket = score

Common collocations
  • make a basket
  • shoot a basket
  • score a basket
  • winning basket
  • through the basket
Synonyms
  • hoop

    matches the ring and net, not the point scored

  • goal

    a broader sports word and less specific than basket

  • score

    matches the point meaning, not the physical target

Grammar Patterns

make a basket

shoot a basket

the ball went through the basket

Usage Note

After verbs like make or score, basket usually means the point. After verbs like hit, hang from, or lower, it normally means the hoop and net.

Common Mistakes

He did a basket in the last second.
He made a basket in the last second.
make or score are the usual verbs for the point.

5. a set of related goods, currencies, or similar items treated as one group

5.noun
Definition

a set of related goods, currencies, or similar items treated as one group

Example

The aid plan included a basket of rice, soap, and cooking oil.

basket of + goods

The bank compares the local dollar with a basket of Asian currencies.

basket of + currencies

Common collocations
  • basket of goods
  • basket of currencies
  • basket of services
  • price basket
  • currency basket
Synonyms
  • bundle

    often used for products or services sold together

  • package

    common when something is offered as one deal

  • set

    more general and less tied to business or finance

Grammar Patterns

a basket of goods

a basket of currencies

a basket of services

Usage Note

Common in business and economics. Basket is usually followed by of and names the items grouped together, especially goods, services, or currencies.

Common Mistakes

The price follows a basket from currencies.
The price follows a basket of currencies.
use basket of when naming the grouped items.
Idioms

put all your eggs in one basket

idiom

To depend completely on one plan or opportunity, which is risky because if it fails you have no other options.

Maya invested all her savings in one company, putting all her eggs in one basket.

Instead of applying to many colleges, Diego put all his eggs in one basket by applying only to Harvard.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For sense 1, basket suggests an open container that is often woven and easy to carry. Box is firmer, usually has straight sides, and protects what is inside better. Bag is soft and flexible, often made of cloth, paper, or plastic, and it can fold flat when empty. Tray is flat and open, so it is mainly for carrying or showing things rather than storing them for long. A picnic basket can hold bread and fruit neatly, but a paper bag suits quick shopping, and a box is better for cups in the car. If you bring tea on a tray, the focus is carrying it without enclosing it.

basket ↗box ↗bag ↗tray ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • basket of

Etymology

CelticLatinAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Basket came into English in the Middle English period from Old French or Anglo-French. Its deeper history is not fully certain, but many dictionaries connect it with the Late Latin word bascauda, meaning a kind of vessel, and trace that further to a Celtic source. The basketball meanings were added much later, first for the hoop and net, and then for a successful shot.