basket

Definition

A lightweight container, generally round, open at the top, and tapering toward the bottom.

Etymology

From Middle English basket, from Anglo-Norman baschet, basket, bascat, of obscure origin. One theory is that it derives from Late Latin bascauda (“kettle, table-vessel”), from Proto-Brythonic (in Breton baskodenn), from Proto-Celtic *baskis (“bundle, load”), from purported Proto-Indo-European *bʰask- (“bundle”), but this is now widely viewed as a substrate word for phonetic reasons. Related to Latin fascis (“bundle, package, load”) (whence English fasces), Albanian bokshe (“bundle”), Breton bac'h (“bundle, load”), Ancient Greek φάκελος (phákelos) and βάσκιοι (báskioi) (“bundle (of sticks)”); see also faggot (“(originally) bundle of sticks”).

Example Sentences

• "A basket of fake fruit adorned the table."
• "The basket of issues that developing countries had vigorously wanted addressed such as agriculture, SANDD and implementation-related issues were given scant attention by developed countries for most part of the conference."
• "The point guard drove toward the basket."

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