ENGLISH
REFERENCE

basket

n.
US //ˈbæskət// UK //bˈɑːskɪt// bas·ket
  1. 1 a container (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a container made of thin pieces of wood, plastic, or wire woven together.

    a lightweight container, typically woven from organic or synthetic fibers, used for carrying or storing goods.

    Example

    She carried a small basket filled with fresh apples from the garden.

    Example

    The artisan spent hours weaving the willow branches into a sturdy basket designed for heavy agricultural use.
  2. 2 online shopping (n.)
    B1 Intermediate British English Internet

    a list of items you have chosen to buy on a website before you pay.

    a virtual storage area in an e-commerce interface where a user aggregates items prior to checkout.

    Example

    I added the shoes to my basket but decided not to buy them yet.

    Example

    The website's analytics showed a high rate of abandonment at the basket stage, suggesting the shipping costs were too high for most users.
Show 4 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 basketball goal (n.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    the net and hoop that players throw the ball through to score points.

    the elevated horizontal hoop and suspended net used as the goal in basketball.

    Example

    The player jumped high and threw the ball right through the basket.

    Example

    The referee signaled a successful basket just seconds before the final buzzer sounded, securing a narrow victory for the home team.
  2. 4 hot air balloon (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the part of a hot air balloon where the pilot and passengers stand.

    the wicker gondola suspended beneath a hot air balloon to carry the crew and heat source.

    Example

    We climbed into the basket and waited for the balloon to rise.

    Example

    The pilot checked the fuel lines connected to the burners before the passengers boarded the wicker basket for the sunrise flight.
  3. 5 economic group (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Technical Economics

    a group of different things, like currencies or products, treated as one unit.

    a group or collection of different financial assets or commodities used as a benchmark or indicator.

    Example

    The value of the currency is measured against a basket of other major currencies.

    Example

    Economists track the consumer price index by monitoring a representative basket of goods and services over a specific period.
  4. 6 insult (n.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Informal Humorous

    a slightly rude word for a person who is annoying or mean.

    a mild or euphemistic substitute for 'bastard' used to describe an unpleasant person.

    Example

    He's a lazy old basket who never helps with the housework.

    Example

    The old man was known as a grumpy basket, though his neighbors suspected it was mostly an act to keep people away.
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Celtic *baskis Proto-Brythonicder. Late Latin bascauda Anglo-Norman bascatbor. Middle English basket English basket From Middle English basket, from Anglo-Norman baschet, basket, bascat, of obscure origin. One theory is that it derives from Late Latin bascauda (“kettle, table-vessel”), from Proto-Brythonic (in Breton baskodenn), from Proto-Celtic baskis (“bundle, load”), from purported Proto-Indo-European bʰask- (“bundle”), but this is now widely viewed as a substrate word for phonetic reasons. Related to Latin fascis (“bundle, package, load”) (whence English fasces), Albanian bokshe (“bundle”), Breton bac'h (“bundle, load”), Ancient Greek φάκελος (phákelos) and βάσκιοι (báskioi) (“bundle (of sticks)”); see also faggot (“(originally) bundle of sticks”).

Word family
Idioms2 entries

© 2026 English Reference