container

Everyday

1. A container is anything you can keep or carry things in, such as a box, jar, bottle, tin or tub. tree →
2. A container is also a very large metal box for carrying goods on ships, trains and lorries. tree →

In the lessons

In maths it appears in capacity and volume problems: how much water a container holds, in litres or millilitres. In science, liquids take the shape of their container. In everyday life, we sort waste into containers and keep food in containers in the fridge. Phrases: «plastic container», «lunch container», «shipping container», «recycling container».

Examples

• Put the leftover pasta in a container and keep it in the fridge. tree →
• The container holds two litres of water. tree →
• Liquids take the shape of the container they are in. tree →
• We collected rain in a container to measure it. tree →
• A huge ship carried hundreds of containers. tree →
• Keep cleaning products in their own container, never in a drink bottle. tree →
• Find a container with a lid for your crayons. tree →

Note

Countable: «a container», «two containers». From «contain» (to hold inside). Safety trap: never put chemicals in food or drink containers, someone might drink them. In a maths problem, «the container holds 500 ml» gives its capacity; «the container is half full» means half of that amount is inside.