Meaning & use
basket
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Meanings
nouncountable
A container made of woven material, such as wicker or wire, used for carrying or holding things.
Grammar: Countable; can be used with 'a' or in the plural.
Patterns
- a basket of something
- carry a basket
- put something in a basket
She carried a basket of fresh vegetables from the garden.
The laundry basket was full of clothes.
nouncountablesport
A successful shot in basketball that scores points by passing through the hoop.
Grammar: Countable; often used in sports contexts.
Patterns
- score a basket
- make a basket
He scored the winning basket in the final seconds.
She made three baskets in a row.
Word forms
| plural | baskets |
|---|
Common combinations
- shopping basket
- He filled his shopping basket with groceries.
- picnic basket
- They packed a picnic basket for the trip.
- basket of fruit
- A basket of fruit sat on the table.
- score a basket
- He scored a basket just before the buzzer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hamper
- A hamper is a large basket, often with a lid, used for laundry or picnics; a basket is more general.
Word family
- basketful noun
- The amount that a basket can hold.
- basketry noun
- The craft of making baskets.
Commonly confused: basket or biscuit?
basket vs biscuit
A biscuit is a baked food item; a basket is a container. They sound somewhat similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'basket' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Basket' is the container. 'Biscuit' is a food, 'basketry' is the craft, and 'basketball' is the sport or ball.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “basket”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.