From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_051_jcontainercon‧tain‧er /kənˈteɪnə $ -ər/ ●●○ noun [countable] 1 CONTAIN/HOLDsomething such as a box or bowl that you use to keep things in ice cream in plastic containers2 TTa very large metal box in which goods are packed to make it easy to lift or move them onto a ship or vehicle a container shipCOLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + containera plastic/glass/metal etc containerA lot of food is sold in plastic containers.an airtight/watertight container (=not allowing air or water in)Seeds are best stored in airtight containers.a sealed container (=closed, so that no air or water can get in)Place the ingredients in a sealed container and shake well.an open container (=that has been opened or that does not have a lid)Don't keep food in open containers in the fridge.a shallow container (=not deep)Fill a shallow container with soil.a recyclable container (=that can be put through a special process and used again)Try to buy food that is packed in recyclable containers.a water/food/milk etc containera storage container (=for storing things in)There are a lot of old toys in storage containers in the attic.verbsfill a containerTwo big containers were filled with water.put something in a containerThe food is then put in special containers.store something in a containerCarrots from the garden were stored in containers of sand in the cellar.a container holds somethingHow much liquid will this container hold?
Examples from the Corpus
container• He was shaking food into the aquarium, holding a container like a pepper shaker, sprinkling Vitablend into the water.• a container with a tight lid• cargo containers• For a somewhat analogous situation, think of a small drop of ink placed in a large container of water.• Within the legal container of marriage, the idealization and illusion so characteristic or the in-love state can take a nasty knock.• You'll need one small container of cottage cheese.• In practice, spray containers are laid in a wire basket inside a sealed container.• Transfer to a storage container and stir in the strawberries.• You may be able to find a suitable container ready-made.• Wash the container in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly in hot water.• Moreover, sunken waste containers could pose a serious threat over time as they begin to leak.From Longman Business Dictionarycontainercon‧tain‧er /kənˈteɪnə-ər/ noun [countable]1something such as a box or bottle that can be used for keeping things inthe EU directive on beverage containers2TRANSPORTa very large metal box, of a standard size, in which goods are packed to make it easy to lift or move them onto a ship or road vehicleThe deck was full of cargo containers.a container ship (=one designed to carry containers) 