wastebasket
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A container, typically with an open top, designed to hold discarded paper and other small items of rubbish.
Usage
The word "wastebasket" refers specifically to a small, open-topped receptacle, often placed under or beside a desk, for temporary disposal of trash, especially paper. It is commonly used in office, home office, and classroom settings.
Examples
- She crumpled the note and threw it into the wastebasket.
- Please empty the wastebasket when it gets full.
- He found the important letter at the bottom of his wastebasket.
Advanced Usage
- "wastebasket category": A term used in classification systems to describe a miscellaneous group for items that do not fit into other defined categories.
- The diagnosis was a wastebasket category for symptoms that didn't match a specific disease.
Variants and Related Words
- Wastepaper basket (noun): A full, formal synonym for "wastebasket."
- Trash can (noun): A more general term for a container for waste; it can be larger and may have a lid.
- Bin (noun): A general British English term for a container for waste.
- Circular file (noun, humorous/slang): A joking term for a wastebasket.
- That report belongs in the circular file.
Synonyms
- Trash can
- Bin
- Wastepaper basket
- Rubbish bin (chiefly British English)
Antonyms
- Filing cabinet
- Archive box
- Storage container
Related Idioms
- To end up in the wastebasket: To be discarded or rejected.
- Most of his first drafts end up in the wastebasket.
Noun
- a container with an open top; for discarded paper and other rubbish