# bin

/ˈbɪn/ (US) · /bˈɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bin
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. waste container

noun · CEFR A2 · British English

a container where you put rubbish or things you do not want.

For teachers: a receptacle for waste or rubbish. Often used with a modifier to specify the type of waste.

- Please put your empty bottle in the recycling bin.
- The council has introduced separate bins for organic waste to encourage more sustainable disposal habits among residents.

Usage: Commonly used in British English; American English speakers typically prefer 'trash can' or 'garbage can'.

### 2. storage container

noun · CEFR B1

a large box or container used for keeping things like bread, toys, or coal.

For teachers: a large container or enclosed space used for the storage of bulk goods or specific items.

- We keep the dog's dry food in a large plastic bin in the garage.
- The warehouse manager organised the inventory into labelled bins to streamline the order-picking process.

### 3. data group

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

one of the groups or categories used to organise data in a chart.

For teachers: one of a series of discrete intervals into which a range of continuous data is divided, typically for a histogram.

- The chart shows the number of people in each age bin.
- Adjusting the width of the bins in the histogram can significantly alter the visual interpretation of the data distribution.

### 4. to throw away

verb · CEFR B2 · British English · Informal

to throw something away because you do not need it anymore.

For teachers: to dispose of something by putting it in a bin; figuratively, to reject or abandon a plan or idea.

- This old printer is broken, so I think I'll just bin it.
- The marketing team decided to bin the original campaign strategy after the initial focus group results proved overwhelmingly negative.

Teaching tip: This is very common in British English but may sound strange or overly informal to American speakers.

## Examples

- Please put your empty bottle in the recycling bin.
- The office manager placed a small blue bin under every desk to encourage staff to recycle paper.
- After the festival ended, the cleaning crew spent hours emptying every overflowing bin and sorting the discarded materials into compost and landfill.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.