noun
receptacle
rih-SEHP-tuh-kl
noun
1
A container designed to hold something.
"Please put your trash in the receptacle by the door."
2
A wall socket for plugging in electrical devices.
"The electrician installed a new receptacle in the kitchen."
3
In botany, the part of the flower stalk that the petals and other floral parts attach to.
"The strawberry we eat is actually the swollen receptacle of the flower."
How to Use Receptacle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething built to hold or receive things — from a trash can to an electrical outlet to a flower part.
UK vs US
In everyday US electrical usage, "receptacle" is the technical word for what most people just call an "outlet."
Common pairings
electrical receptacle
waste receptacle
Word Forms
receptacles plural
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Please put your trash in the _____ by the door.
Etymology
From Latin receptaculum ("container, place of storage"), from recipere ("to receive").