wastebasket

[ weyst-bas-kit, -bah-skit ]

noun

1. a standing basket for wastepaper, small items of trash, etc.

wastebasket

/ ˈweɪstˌbɑːskɪt /

noun

1. an open receptacle for paper and other dry litter Also called (esp in Britain)wastepaper basket

Word History and Origins

Origin of wastebasket¹

First recorded in 1855–60; waste + basket

Example Sentences

Crawl up the wastebasket—oooh, I didn’t know it would sway like that!

From Literature

This trend should be in the same wastebasket as mullets, microwave dinners and inflated lips.

From Los Angeles Times

Last month, in an act of showmanship during a Facebook Live event, Fain condemned a contract proposal from Stellantis as “trash” — and tossed a copy of it into a wastebasket, “where it belongs,” he said.

From Seattle Times

She said, “Suds, will you excuse yourself from Joey long enough to empty your wastebasket, please.”

From Literature

There is an empty, deflated bag of microwave popcorn crumpled in the wastebasket.

From Literature

Related Words

• dustbin