Trash Can: Definition, Examples, and Common Uses

Meaning 1：waste container (Trash Can)

Trash Can 🔊

/træʃ kæn/

A container used to hold waste or garbage.

Green plastic trash can with lid in sunny kitchen

waste container 🔊

➕

/weɪst kənˈteɪnər/

A container typically made of metal or plastic, used to collect and hold garbage or trash for disposal.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Compound of 'trash' (waste) + 'can' (container). No root breakdown needed.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a 'can' that 'trashes' unwanted items. Visualize tossing crumpled paper into it.

📖 Example

After peeling the apples, she dropped the skins into the trash can to keep the kitchen clean. 🔊 After peeling the apples, she dropped the skins into the trash can to keep the kitchen clean.

🔗 Collocations

kick the trash can – to accidentally hit or strike the trash can with one's foot

empty the trash can – to remove all waste from the trash can

line the trash can – to place a plastic bag inside the trash can to hold waste

🔄 Synonyms

garbage bin (n) – A container for household waste, similar to a trash can.

wastebasket (n) – A small container for waste, often used in offices or rooms.

dustbin (n) – British term for a container for household waste.

🚫 Antonyms

treasure chest (n) – A container used for storing valuable items, opposite of waste.

recycling bin (n) – A bin specifically for recyclable materials, not general waste.

🌱 Derivatives

trash can liner (n) – A plastic bag designed to fit inside a trash can.

trash can lid (n) – The cover that seals the top of a trash can.

📖 Cultural Story

Trash cans became common in the early 20th century with urban sanitation reforms. In American English, 'trash can' is widely used in households and public places.