Containers and contents

expression meaning example

bag (n.) a container made of thin
material such as paper,
a bag of appples
plastic, or cloth that opens
at the top and is used for
holding or carrying things
barrel (n.) a large round container,
usually made of wood or
metal, with flat ends and, a barrel of coal
usually, curved sides
basket (n.) a container usually made
by weaving together long basket of waste paper
thin pieces of material
bottle (n.) a glass or plastic con-
tainer, usually round, with
straight sides and a nar- a bottle of wine
row neck, used especially
for storing liquids
bowl (n.) a deep, round container
with a wide, open top,
used especially for hold- a bowl of fruit
ing food or liquid
box (n.) a container made of
wood, cardboard, metal,
etc. with a flat, stiff base
a box of matches
and sides, and often a lid,
used especially for hold-
ing solid things
bucket (n.) an open container with a
handle, used for carrying
or holding liquids, sand, a bucket of water
etc.
can (n.) a closed metal container
that is usually shaped like
a can of cola
a cylinder and that holds
food or drink
carton (n.) a light box or container
usually made of card- a carton of milk
board or plastic
case (n.) a container or box used to
acasse of jewellery
protect or store things
crate (n.) a large wooden or plastic They used a crate of or-
container for transporting anges to make enough
goods juice for everyone.

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crate (n.) a metal or plastic con-
tainer that is divided into
a crate of bottles
small sections, for trans-
porting or storing bottles
glass (n.) a container, usually made
of glass, used for drinking a glass of water
out of
jar (n.) a round glass container,
with a lid, used for storing a jar of jam
food
jug (n.) a glass container that has
a wide opening and usu- a jug of milk
ally a lid
mug (n.) a large drinking cup with a a mug of tea
handle
pack (n.) a container, usually made
of paper, that holds a
number of the same a pack of cards
things or an amount of
sth., ready to be sold
packet (n.) (US) a small, thin package He puts two packets of
sugar in his coffee.
packet (n.) (Brit.) a package in which sth. is A packet of cigarettes
sold and bought costs about 4 euros.
pan (n.) a usually shallow and
open metal container that a pan of food
has a handle and that is
used for cooking
pot (n.) a deep, round container
that is used for cooking a pot of yoghurt

pot (n.) a container of various He is growing tomato

kinds, made for a partic- plants in pots.
ular purpose
sack (n.) a large bag with no han-
dles, made of strong a sack of rubbish
rough material, or strong
paper, or plastic, used for
storing and carrying, for
example flour, coal, etc.
tin (n.) a metal container with a
lid used for keeping food a tin of sardines
in
tub (n.) a large round container There were tubs of flow-
without a lid, used for ers on the balcony.

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 washing clothes in, grow-
ing plants in, etc.
tub (n.) a small, wide, usually I bought a tub of popcorn
round, plastic or paper because movies are
container with a lid, used never quite as good when
for food, etc. there is no popcorn.
tube (n.) a long narrow container
made of soft metal or a tube of toothpaste
plastic, with a lid, that
contains a soft material
which can be pushed out
by squeezing
cloth (n.) material that is made by
weaving together threads
of cotton, wool, nylon,
etc., and that is used to
make clothes, sheets, etc.
linen (n.) a type of cloth made from
flax (= a plant with blue
flowers, grown for its
stems which are used to
make thread, and its
seeds which are used to
make linseed oil, used to
make high-quality clothes,
sheets, etc.
wicker (n.) thin sticks of wood twisted The cat was relaxing on a
together to make baskets, wicker chair.
furniture, etc.
china (n.) a hard white material that This vase is made of
is made of baked clay (= china.
a type of heavy, sticky
earth that becomes hard
when it is baked and is
used to make things such
as pots and bricks) and
used to make delicate
cups, plates, etc.
cardboard (n.) a stiff and thick kind of pa-
per that is used especially
for making boxes
tin (n.) a soft silver-white metal
that is often mixed with
other metals or used to
cover them to prevent
them from rusting (= form-
ing a reddish substance

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 on iron or some other
metal usually when it
comes in contact with
moisture or air)
card (n.) (Brit.) thick, stiff paper
leather (n.) material made by remov-
ing the hair or fur from an-
imal skins and preserving
the skins using special
processes
pottery (n.) the clay (= a type of
heavy, sticky earth that
becomes hard when it is
baked and is used to
make things such as pots
and bricks) that some
dishes and pots are made
of
sweets (n.) candy or other sweet
foods
shopping (n.) (Brit.) the things that are bought
at a shop or store
mail (n.) letters, packages, etc. that
are sent and delivered
oil (n.) here a thick, black liquid
that comes from the
ground and that is used in
making various products
such as gasoline
wine (n.) an alcoholic drink made
from the juice of grapes
beer (n.) an alcoholic drink made
from malt and flavored
with hops
clothes (n.) he things that people
wear to cover their bod-
ies, such as pants,
dresses, and jackets
waste paper (n.) paper that is thrown away
because it has been used
or is not needed
tissue (n.) a piece of soft and very
thin paper that is used
especially for cleaning

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match (n.) here a short, thin piece of
wood or thick paper with a
special tip that produces
fire when it is scratched
against sth. else
tool (n.) here an instrument such
as a hammer, screw-
driver, saw, shovel etc.
that you hold in your hand
and use for making
things, repairing things,
etc.
jewelry (n.) (US), decorative objects such
jewellery (n.) (Brit.) as rings, necklaces, and
earrings that people wear
on their body
glasses (n.), spectacles two lenses in a frame that
(n.) (old-fashioned) rests on the nose and
ears
jam (n.) here a thick sweet food
made by boiling fruit with
sugar, often sold in jars
and spread on bread
marmalade (n.) a soft sweet food made
from oranges, lemons,
etc., often sold in jars
spread on bread
cereal (n.) here food made from the
grain of cereals (= plants
such as a grass that pro-
duces grain that can be
eaten, often eaten for
breakfast with milk
instant coffee (n.) dried coffee extract made
by brewing ground coffee
beans that enable people
to quickly prepare hot cof-
fee by adding hot water or
milk
cream (n.) here the thick, pale yel-
low-white fatty liquid that
rises to the top of milk,
used in cooking or as a
type of sauce to put on
fruit, etc.
cookie (n.) (US), a sweet baked food that is
biscuit (n.) (Brit.) usually small, flat, and

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 round and is made from
flour and sugar
yogurt (n.) (US), a thick white liquid food,
yoghurt (n.) (Brit.) made by adding bacteria
to milk, served cold and
often with fruit added
paint (n.) a liquid that is put on
surfaces to give them a
particular color
coal (n.) a hard black mineral that
is found below the ground
and burnt to produce heat
rubbish (n.), garbage (n.), things that are no longer
trash (n.) useful or wanted and that
have been thrown away
tomato (n.) (plural a soft fruit with a lot of
tomatoes) juice and shiny red skin
that is eaten as a vegeta-
ble either raw or cooked
potato (n.) (plural a round white or yellow
potatoes) vegetable with a brown,
yellow or red skin that
grows underground as
part of a plant also called
a potato
sardine (n.) a small young sea fish
that is either eaten fresh
or preserved in tins
tuna (n.) a large fish that lives in
the ocean and is eaten as
food
(potato) chips (n.) (US), thin round slices of potato
(potato) crisps (n.) (Brit.) that are fried until hard
then dried and eaten cold
rainwater (n.) water that has fallen as
rain
toothpaste (n.) a substance that is put on
a brush and used for
cleaning teeth
ointment (n.) a smooth substance that
is rubbed on the skin to
help heal a wound or to
reduce pain or discomfort

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powder laundry detergent soap in the form of pow-
(n.) (US), der for washing clothes,
washing powder (n.) towels, sheets, etc.
(Brit.)
dishwashing liquid (n.) liquid soap for washing
(US), dishes, pans, etc.
washing-up liquid (n.)
(Brit.)