basket
basket
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "basket" is /ˈbæskɪt/.
bas-: /bæsk/
/b/: voiced bilabial plosive
/æ/: near-open front unrounded vowel
/s/: voiceless alveolar fricative
/k/: voiceless velar plosive
-ket: /ɪt/
/ɪ/: near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/t/: voiceless alveolar plosive
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: basket
Plural Noun: baskets
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A container, typically woven from natural materials like wicker, reeds, or plastic strips, designed for holding or carrying items. It often has a handle or handles.
Synonyms: hamper, creel, pannier, skip
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; concepts like "individual item" or "loose pile" are opposite in nature, but not lexical antonyms for a container.)
(Figurative) The hoop and net system used in basketball through which players attempt to score by shooting the ball.
Synonyms: hoop, net, rim
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
(Figurative) A specific amount or collection of items grouped together, often for a particular purpose or analysis.
Synonyms: assortment, collection, range, selection
Antonyms: individual, singular
Examples of Use
Books: "She set the picnic basket down carefully, making sure not to disturb the delicate pastries inside." (From a contemporary romance novel, exact title not recallable at present)
Newspapers: "Consumer confidence dipped last month, with a notable decline in the average 'shopping basket' value." ( The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications: "Our new article explores sustainable alternatives for everyday household items, including a guide to eco-friendly laundry baskets." ( EcoWatch.com)
Entertainment Mediums (Film/TV): In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne uses a small rock hammer hidden in a bible, which could metaphorically be seen as his tool for escaping the "basket" of prison life. (Film, 1994)
Entertainment Platforms (Video Games): "Collect all the apples and put them in your basket before time runs out!" (Instruction from a popular mobile puzzle game, Farm Frenzy)
General Public Discourse: "When you go to the market, could you pick up a basket of fresh berries?" (Everyday conversation)
General Public Discourse: "The government needs to address the entire basket of issues facing the economy, not just focus on inflation." (Political commentary)
10 Quotes Using Basket
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." (Common proverb, origin uncertain)
"Every reform, however necessary, will by weak minds be carried to an almost criminal excess. Every good thing has its bad side, and the challenge is not to throw out the baby with the bathwater, to keep the good and discard the bad, not to get rid of the basket just because one or two eggs are rotten." (Theodore Roosevelt, "The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses", 1900)
"I came into the world in a basket, and it looks like I am going to leave it in a basket." (Zora Neale Hurston, Dust Tracks on a Road, 1942)
"Into the basket with you, you little demon!" (From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, 1997)
"A loaf of bread, a basket of figs, and thou beside me in the wilderness." (Loosely adapted from The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, Fitzgerald translation)
"We are all in the same basket." (French proverb, meaning we are all in the same situation)
"I have a little basket, and I’m going to fill it up with dreams and hopes." (Original quote)
"Life is a basket of choices." (Original quote)
"She carries her sorrow in a woven basket, heavy with unspoken words." (Original quote)
"The basket of civilization is often held together by the thin threads of compromise." (Original quote)
Etymology
The word "basket" has a bit of a mysterious past! It first appeared in the English language in the early 13th century (so, sometime before the year 1300).
Its very first meaning was pretty much what we understand it to be today: a "vessel made of thin strips of wood, or other flexible materials, interwoven in a great variety of forms, and used for many purposes." Essentially, it was a woven container for holding or carrying things.
Where the word itself originally came from is a bit unclear, despite a lot of guesses from language experts. We know it came into English from Anglo-French (which was the French language spoken in England after the Norman Conquest).
One popular idea is that it might have come from the Latin word "bascauda," which referred to a kind of kettle or table vessel. The Roman poet Martial even said this word "bascauda" came from a Celtic language spoken in Britain. If that's true, it might have originally meant something like a "wicker basket" – a basket made from woven twigs or branches. However, the exact link between these words isn't perfectly clear, and some scholars are still not convinced.
So, while we know "basket" has been around for a long time with its current core meaning, its ultimate roots are a little bit of an etymological puzzle!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Basket
All eggs in one basket: To risk everything by putting all your efforts or resources into one thing.
A basket case: A person or thing that is in a state of collapse or dysfunction.
The whole basket of goods/issues: A complete range or collection of items or problems.
Shopping basket: The metaphorical or literal collection of items a consumer intends to purchase.
To throw the baby out with the bathwater (related to "basket"): To discard something valuable along with something unwanted, similar to losing a good egg from a bad basket.
A basket of deplorables: A controversial political phrase referring to a group of people seen as contemptible.
Basket weave: A pattern resembling the interwoven strips of a basket.
A full basket: Having plenty of resources or options.
To put something in the basket: To finalize a decision or action, especially regarding purchases.
A heavy basket: Carrying a significant burden or responsibility.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of basket from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
