sugar-basin
Definition
Noun: - A container for sugar: "sugar-basin" refers to a dish or bowl, often with a lid or cover, used to hold sugar for serving at the table.
Usage Examples
- (A bowl containing sugar for table use.)
- (A decorative container for sugar.)
Advanced Usage
"to empty the sugar-basin": to use up all the sugar in the container.
- After baking cookies, we had to empty the sugar-basin completely. (The bowl was left without any sugar.)
"sugar-basin and creamer set": a matching pair of containers for sugar and cream.
- She inherited a beautiful sugar-basin and creamer set from her grandmother. (A coordinated tableware set.)
Variants and Related Words
Sugar-bowl (n): a more common synonym for "sugar-basin," especially in American English.
- The sugar-bowl is kept on the counter for easy access. (A bowl for storing sugar.)
Sugar (n): the sweet crystalline substance typically held in a sugar-basin.
- He added two spoonfuls of sugar from the sugar-basin to his tea. (The substance contained in the bowl.)
Synonyms
- Sugar bowl: a bowl designed for holding sugar.
- Sugar container: a generic term for any receptacle used to store sugar.
- Sugar dispenser: a container with a mechanism for releasing sugar (e.g., a shaker).
Related Idioms
- "Sugar basin" (rare in idioms): This word does not commonly appear in English idioms, but it may be used literally in contexts of dining or household items.
Cultural Note
- In traditional Western table settings, a sugar-basin is often part of a tea or coffee service, paired with a creamer and a teapot or coffee pot. It may be made of ceramic, glass, or silver.