clothes-basket
Definition
- Noun:
- A basket for laundry: "clothes-basket" refers to a basket, typically made of wicker, plastic, or metal, used for holding soiled clothing or linens that are to be washed. It is a container specifically designed for the collection and transport of laundry.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- She carried the clothes-basket down to the basement laundry room. (A basket filled with dirty clothes for washing.)
- The children tossed their socks into the clothes-basket after school. (A container for gathering laundry.)
Advanced Usage
"to fill the clothes-basket": to accumulate enough laundry to necessitate washing.
- I need to fill the clothes-basket before I start the washing machine. (To gather a full load of dirty clothes.)
"to empty the clothes-basket": to remove all items from the basket, usually after washing or sorting.
- He emptied the clothes-basket onto the bed to fold the clean laundry. (To take all clothes out of the basket.)
Variants and Related Words
Laundry basket (n): a synonym for clothes-basket, commonly used in American English.
- Please put your dirty shirts in the laundry basket. (A basket for dirty clothes.)
Clothes hamper (n): a similar container, often with a lid, for storing dirty laundry.
- The clothes hamper in the bathroom is nearly full. (A covered basket for laundry.)
Synonyms
- Laundry basket: a basket for holding clothes to be washed.
- Linen basket: a basket specifically for linens, such as towels and sheets.
Related Idioms
- To be caught with one's clothes-basket empty: an informal, rare expression meaning to be unprepared for a task (especially laundry).
- He was caught with his clothes-basket empty when the washing machine broke down. (He had no clean clothes ready.)
Note: This word is a compound noun and is used primarily in British English. In American English, "laundry basket" is more common. The term "clothes-basket" is specific to the container for dirty laundry and does not refer to other types of baskets (e.g., for storage or picnic).