Meaning & use
a wheelie bin
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableBritish
A large container with wheels and a lid, used for putting rubbish in, especially for collection by a truck.
Grammar: Countable: 'a wheelie bin', 'two wheelie bins'. Common in British English.
Patterns
- put rubbish in a wheelie bin
- wheelie bin collection
- a row of wheelie bins
Please put the wheelie bin out for collection tomorrow morning.
The wheelie bin is full, so we need to recycle more.
They keep the wheelie bin in the backyard.
Word forms
| plural | wheelie bins |
|---|
Common combinations
- wheelie bin collection
- The wheelie bin collection is every Tuesday.
- put the wheelie bin out
- Don't forget to put the wheelie bin out tonight.
- wheelie bin lid
- The wheelie bin lid was left open in the rain.
- a row of wheelie bins
- There was a row of wheelie bins along the street.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trash can
- American English for a container for rubbish, often without wheels; 'wheelie bin' is specifically British and has wheels.
- garbage can
- Another American term, similar to 'trash can'; not necessarily with wheels.
- dustbin
- A British word for a rubbish container, traditionally metal and without wheels.
Word family
- wheelie bin noun
- No common derived forms.
Commonly confused: a wheelie bin or wheelbarrow?
a wheelie bin vs wheelbarrow
A cart with one wheel and two handles for carrying loads, not for rubbish collection.
Practice
In Britain, you usually put your household rubbish in a ______.
Choose one answer.
'Wheelie bin' is the standard British term for a wheeled rubbish container. 'Trash can' is American, 'dumpster' is a large commercial container, and 'recycling box' is for recyclables.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a wheelie bin”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.