Etymology

From Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#CONTAINERCategory:English terms derived from Middle English#CONTAINER conteyner, equivalent to contain +‎ -erCategory:English terms suffixed with -er (agent noun)#CONTAINER.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kənˈteɪnə/Category:English 3-syllable words#CONTAINERCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#CONTAINER
• (General American) IPA^(key): /kənˈteɪnɚ/Category:English 3-syllable words#CONTAINERCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#CONTAINER
• Rhymes: -eɪnə(ɹ)Category:Rhymes:English/eɪnə(ɹ)#CONTAINERCategory:Rhymes:English/eɪnə(ɹ)/3 syllables#CONTAINER

Noun

container (plural containers)Category:English lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:English nouns#CONTAINERCategory:English countable nouns#CONTAINERCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. Someone who contains; something that contains.
   2. An item in which objects, materials or data can be stored or transported.

      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:container

   4. (transportCategory:en:Transport#CONTAINER) A very large, typically metal, box used for transporting goods.

      Synonyms: cargo container, shipping container

      • 1963 April, “Beyond the Channel: France: Freight stock of the future”, in Modern Railways, page 269:

        Will container development merely bring about a substitution for the body of the covered wagon? Probably not, in his view, but he believes that the size and tonnage of the container are likely to increase pari passu with the lifting capacity of handling appliances.

        Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

      • 2020 May 20, Industry Insider, “An online boost for freight”, in Rail, page 68:

        The specifiers of the Freightliner network had the foresight to base the rail journey on carrying ISO containers which are 8ft wide and originally 8ft tall (although now increased to a height of 9ft 6ins), with a variety of lengths.

        Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

      • 2025 December 29, Lindsay Jones, “A Newfoundland winter brings new risks to Coast Guard's biggest-ever operation. Crews at mercy of the elements as they work to clean up grounded ship”, in The Globe and Mail, page A1:

        On a damp and blustery morning, three-metre swells crash into the cracked hull of the MSC Baltic III, which was grounded on a pinnacle of rock on the west coast of Newfoundland earlier this year. The wind carries whiffs of rotten egg. Salvage crews in hard hats and neon yellow jackets inch along in a temporary cable car suspended high over the churning Atlantic. In a province with a long and dangerous maritime history, the Baltic's grounding in the roiling shallows of Cedar Cove last February is a story Newfoundlanders retell with incredulity. The cargo ship, en route to Corner Brook from Montreal, lost power in the early morning of Feb. 15 during a ferocious blizzard. The ship, packed with hundreds of containers of lumber, textiles, plastic beads, legumes and car parts, plus 1,600 metric tonnes of fuel, careered into the only safe harbour along a coast of towering cliffs. All 20 crew members were airlifted off the ship in a harrowing rescue by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Over the following months, salvage crews offloaded most of the 470 containers and siphoned out the fuel, which had hardened into an asphalt-like substance, in a multistage operation that involved heating it for days. At risk were local wildlife — migratory birds and the capelin and lobster that local fish harvesters rely on for their livelihoods. The goal of the work is to ready the ship for eventual dismantling and removal from the shoreline.

        Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

   5. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)Category:Requests for verification in English entries#CONTAINER (by extension) Someone who holds people in their seats or in a (reasonably) calm state.
   6. (computingCategory:en:Computing#CONTAINER)
      2. (file formatCategory:en:File formats#CONTAINER) A file format that can hold various types of data.

         Synonym: container format

         • 2011, Cory Altheide, Harlan Carvey, Digital Forensics with Open Source Tools, page 187:

           As the MP4 container can store audio, video, or both, the M4A naming and file extension is used to hint that this MP4 container holds solely audio information.

           Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

      3. (object-oriented programmingCategory:en:Object-oriented programming#CONTAINER) An abstract data type whose instances are collections of other objects.
         • 2015, Ivor Horton, Using the C++ Standard Template Libraries, Apress, →ISBN, page 64:

           This advantage is the primary incentive for using a list container, rather than a vector or a deque.

           Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

      4. (graphical user interfaceCategory:en:Graphical user interface#CONTAINER) Any user interface component that can hold further (child) components.
         • 2007, Rich Tretola, Simon Barber, Renaun Erickson, Professional Adobe Flex 2, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 62:

           Flex automatically creates a TabBar container at the top of the TabNavigator container, with a tab corresponding to each child container. Each tab can have its own label and icon.

           Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

      5. (Java programming languageCategory:en:Java programming language#CONTAINER) A web container.
      7. (cloud computingCategory:en:Computing#CONTAINER) A bundle consisting of operating system, application code and dependencies to be run sandboxed inside a virtualized environment; (by extension) the environment itself.

         Synonym: software container

         • 2017, Maddie Stigler, Beginning Serverless Computing, Apress, →ISBN, page 1:

           Generally, when people think of serverless computing, they tend to think of applications with back-ends that run on third-party services, also described as code running on ephemeral containers.

           Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

         • 2020, Elton Stoneman, chapter 1, in Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, →ISBN:

           The application components all run in containers. They are isolated like VMs but lightweight and efficient like PaaS services.

           Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

   7. (crosswordingCategory:en:Crosswording#CONTAINER) A type of cryptic device where one word is inserted into another.
      • 2012 June 13, Denise Sutherland, Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 48:

        As with all varieties of cryptic clues, the container device can be used in conjunction with other devices, especially in more complex cryptic crosswords.

        Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

      • 2013 July 1, John P.Stewart, Don't Let Cryptic Crossword Clues Fool You: Intellectual Stimulation and Mental Alertness Guaranteed, Booktango, →ISBN:

        Container word clues are actually three clues in one.

        Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

      • 2020 August 20, Telegraph Media Group Ltd, The Telegraph: How To Solve a Cryptic Crossword: Mastering cryptic crosswords made easy, Hachette UK, →ISBN, page 23:

        We have already mentioned 'in' having multiple uses; 'round' or 'around' might be a container indicator or a reversal indicator; 'without' might be a container indicator or a deletion indicator, and so on.

        Category:English terms with quotations#CONTAINER

Further reading

• container on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• anorectin, cotarnine, crenation, narcotine

Etymology

Borrowed from EnglishCategory:Dutch terms borrowed from English#CONTAINERCategory:Dutch terms derived from English#CONTAINER container.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌkɔnˈteː.nər/Category:Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER

• Audio:

  (file)

  Category:Dutch terms with audio pronunciation#CONTAINER
• Hyphenation: con‧tai‧ner
• Rhymes: -eːnərCategory:Rhymes:Dutch/eːnər#CONTAINER

Noun

container m (plural containers, diminutive containertje n)Category:Dutch lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:Dutch nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Dutch nouns with plural in -s#CONTAINERCategory:Dutch entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Dutch masculine nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. shipping container, cargo container

   Synonym: vrachtcontainer

2. dumpster or domestic recycling bin, large waste container

   Synonyms: afvalcontainer, vuilcontainer

Etymology

Borrowed from EnglishCategory:French terms borrowed from English#CONTAINERCategory:French terms derived from English#CONTAINER container (during the 1920s).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.tɛ.nɛʁ/ ~ /kɔ̃.te.nɛʁ/Category:French 3-syllable words#CONTAINERCategory:French 3-syllable words#CONTAINERCategory:French terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

  Category:French terms with audio pronunciation#CONTAINER

Noun

container f (plural containers)Category:French lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:French nouns#CONTAINERCategory:French countable nouns#CONTAINERCategory:French entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:French feminine nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. container

   Synonym: conteneur

Further reading

• “container”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Anagrams

• actionner, connaitre, connaître, encornait, reconnait, reconnaît, renonçait

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Italian terms borrowed from English#CONTAINERCategory:Italian unadapted borrowings from English#CONTAINERCategory:Italian terms derived from English#CONTAINER container.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /konˈtɛj.ner/, /konˈtaj.ner/^[1]Category:Italian 3-syllable words#CONTAINERCategory:Italian 3-syllable words#CONTAINERCategory:Italian terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER
• Rhymes: -ɛjner, -ajnerCategory:Rhymes:Italian/ɛjner#CONTAINERCategory:Rhymes:Italian/ɛjner/3 syllables#CONTAINERCategory:Rhymes:Italian/ajner#CONTAINERCategory:Rhymes:Italian/ajner/3 syllables#CONTAINER
• Hyphenation: con‧tài‧ner

• Audio:

  (file)

  Category:Italian terms with audio pronunciation#CONTAINER

Noun

container m (invariable)Category:Italian lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:Italian nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Italian countable nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Italian indeclinable nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Italian entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Italian masculine nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. (cargo) container (a very large, typically metal, box used for transporting goods)

References

Further reading

• container in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• canterino, citeranno, incanterò, incornate, narcotine, recintano, roncinate

Alternative forms

• konteiner

Etymology

From EnglishCategory:Norwegian Bokmål terms borrowed from English#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Bokmål terms derived from English#CONTAINER container.

Noun

container m (definite singular containeren, indefinite plural containere, definite plural containerne)Category:Norwegian Bokmål lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Bokmål nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Bokmål terms spelled with C#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Bokmål entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Bokmål masculine nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. a container (large metal box for transporting goods)

References

• “container” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Alternative forms

• konteinar

Etymology

From EnglishCategory:Norwegian Nynorsk terms borrowed from English#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Nynorsk terms derived from English#CONTAINER container.

Noun

container m (definite singular containeren, indefinite plural containerar, definite plural containerane)Category:Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Nynorsk nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Nynorsk terms spelled with C#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Nynorsk entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Norwegian Nynorsk masculine nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. a container (large metal box for transporting goods)

References

• “container” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Pronunciation

Noun

container m (plural containers)Category:Portuguese lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:Portuguese nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Portuguese countable nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Portuguese entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Portuguese masculine nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. alternative spelling of contêiner

Further reading

• “container”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “container”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Romanian terms borrowed from English#CONTAINERCategory:Romanian unadapted borrowings from English#CONTAINERCategory:Romanian terms derived from English#CONTAINER container.

Noun

container n (plural containere)Category:Romanian lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:Romanian nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Romanian countable nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Romanian entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Romanian neuter nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. shipping container

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Spanish terms borrowed from English#CONTAINERCategory:Spanish unadapted borrowings from English#CONTAINERCategory:Spanish terms derived from English#CONTAINER container.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (unadapted) /konˈteineɾ/ [kõn̪ˈt̪ei̯.neɾ]Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#CONTAINERCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER
  • Rhymes: -eineɾCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/eineɾ#CONTAINERCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/eineɾ/3 syllables#CONTAINER
• IPA^(key): (semi-adapted) /konˈtaineɾ/ [kõn̪ˈt̪ai̯.neɾ]Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#CONTAINERCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER
  • Rhymes: -aineɾCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/aineɾ#CONTAINERCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/aineɾ/3 syllables#CONTAINER
• IPA^(key): (adapted) /kontaiˈneɾ/ [kõn̪.t̪ai̯ˈneɾ]Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#CONTAINERCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER
  • Rhymes: -eɾCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/eɾ#CONTAINERCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/eɾ/3 syllables#CONTAINER
  • Syllabification: con‧tai‧ner

Noun

container m (plural containers)Category:Spanish lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:Spanish nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Spanish countable nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Spanish masculine nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. container

   Synonym: contenedor

Further reading

• “container”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• Seco, Manuel; Andrés, Olimpia; Ramos, Gabino (2023), “container”, in Diccionario del español actual (in Spanish), third digital edition, Fundación BBVA

Etymology

Borrowed from EnglishCategory:Swedish terms borrowed from English#CONTAINERCategory:Swedish terms derived from English#CONTAINER container. First attested in 1936.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔnˈtɛjnɛr/Category:Swedish terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER

Noun

container cCategory:Swedish lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:Swedish nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Swedish entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Swedish common-gender nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

2. a container (cargo container)

   Hypernym: lastbärare

   två containrar föll överbord

   two containers fell overboard

   Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#CONTAINER

4. a dumpster

   Synonyms: sopcontainer, avfallscontainer

   Släng soporna i containern

   Throw the garbage in the dumpster

   Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#CONTAINER

   Det kan vara farligt att leka i en container

   Playing in a dumpster can be dangerous

   Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#CONTAINER

References

• “container”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “container”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kəwŋ͡m˧˧ tɛn˧˧ nəː˧˧]Category:Vietnamese terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kəwŋ͡m˧˧ tɛŋ˧˧ nəː˧˧]Category:Vietnamese terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kəwŋ͡m˧˧ tɛŋ˧˧ nəː˧˧]Category:Vietnamese terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER
• Phonetic spelling: công ten nơCategory:Vietnamese terms with IPA pronunciation#CONTAINER

Noun

(classifier chiếc) Category:Vietnamese nouns classified by chiếccontainerCategory:Vietnamese lemmas#CONTAINERCategory:Vietnamese nouns#CONTAINERCategory:Vietnamese entries with incorrect language header#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with entries#CONTAINERCategory:Pages with 11 entries#CONTAINER

1. (road transportCategory:vi:Road transport#CONTAINER) alternative form of công-te-nơ (“semi-trailer truck”)
   • 2007 August 8, Trần Duy, “Đồng Nai - "thủ phủ" những cây cầu chờ sập [Đồng Nai – "capital" of bridges waiting to collapse]”, in Người Lao Động‎, Ho Chi Minh City, sourced from VietnamNet, retrieved 24 September 2025:

     Một chiếc container từ ngã ba Tân Vạn chạy đến. "Rầm! Rầm! Rầm!". Chiếc cầu rung rinh, lắc võng khi chiếc container lần lượt chạy qua từng nhịp cầu.

     A semi-trailer truck came from Tân Vạn intersection. Foom foom foom! The bridge rattled and heaved as the semi-trailer truck crossed each span of the bridge.

     Category:Vietnamese terms with quotations#CONTAINER