noun
crate
krayt
noun
1
A large, sturdy box or open frame used to pack and transport goods.
"The workers stacked wooden crates of oranges onto the truck."
"She kept her old vinyl records in a plastic crate."
2
Informal: an old or unreliable vehicle.
"He joked that his first car was a rusty old crate held together with tape."
verb
1
To pack something into a crate for storage or shipping.
"They crated the antique mirror carefully before the move."
How to Use Crate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sturdy box for shipping or storing things, or (informally) a beat-up vehicle.
Common pairings
a wooden crate
crate of beer
crate up
Word Forms
crated past tense, crates plural, crates singular
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The workers stacked wooden _____ of oranges onto the truck.
Etymology
From Dutch krat, "large box" or "basket" — related to the English word cart.