receptacle

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re·cep·ta·cle

(rĭ-sĕp′tə-kəl)

1. A container that holds items or matter.

2. Botany The expanded tip of a flower stalk or axis that bears the floral parts or the florets of the flower head.

3. Electronics A fitting connected to a power supply and equipped to receive a plug.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin receptāculum, from receptāre, to receive again, frequentative of recipere, to receive; see receive.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

receptacle

(rɪˈsɛptəkəl)

1. an object that holds something; container

2. (Botany) botany

a. the enlarged or modified tip of the flower stalk that bears the parts of the flower

b. the shortened flattened stem bearing the florets of the capitulum of composite flowers such as the daisy

c. the part of lower plants that bears the reproductive organs or spores

[C15: from Latin receptāculum a store-place, from receptāre to receive again, from recipere to receive]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

re•cep•ta•cle

(rɪˈsɛp tə kəl)

n.

1. a container, device, etc., that receives or holds something.

2. the modified or expanded portion of a plant stem or axis that bears the organs of a single flower or the florets of a flower head.

3. a contact device installed at an electrical outlet, equipped with one or more sockets.

[1375–1425; Middle English (< Old French) < Latin receptāculum reservoir =receptā(re) to take again, receive back (frequentative of recipere to receive) + -culum -cle²]

re·cep·ta·cle

(rĭ-sĕp′tə-kəl)

The enlarged upper end of a flower stalk that bears the flower or group of flowers. See more at flower.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Noun	1.	receptacle - a container that is used to put or keep things in ash-pan - a receptacle fitted beneath the grate in which ashes collect and are removed ashtray - a receptacle for the ash from smokers' cigars or cigarettes hive, beehive - a man-made receptacle that houses a swarm of bees compositor's case, typesetter's case, case - (printing) the receptacle in which a compositor has his type, which is divided into compartments for the different letters, spaces, or numbers; "for English, a compositor will ordinarily have two such cases, the upper case containing the capitals and the lower case containing the small letters" cat box - a receptacle for cat excrement catchall - an enclosure or receptacle for odds and ends chamberpot, thunder mug, potty - a receptacle for urination or defecation in the bedroom coin box - the part of a slot machine that serves as a receptacle for the coins container - any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another) dustpan - a short-handled receptacle into which dust can be swept garbage - a receptacle where waste can be discarded; "she tossed the moldy bread into the garbage" hopper - funnel-shaped receptacle; contents pass by gravity into a receptacle below hot-water bag, hot-water bottle - a stoppered receptacle (usually made of rubber) that is to be filled with hot water and used for warming a bed or parts of the body in-basket, in-tray - a wood or metal receptacle placed on your desk to hold your incoming material ossuary - any receptacle for the burial of human bones out-basket, out-tray - a wood or metal receptacle placed on your desk to hold your outgoing material collection plate, plate - a shallow receptacle for collection in church pix, pyx - any receptacle in which wafers for the Eucharist are kept save-all - a receptacle for catching waste products for further use silent butler - a small receptacle with a handle and a hinged lid; used for collecting crumbs or ashes socket - receptacle where something (a pipe or probe or end of a bone) is inserted cuspidor, spittoon - a receptacle for spit (usually in a public place) tidy - receptacle that holds odds and ends (as sewing materials) tray - an open receptacle for holding or displaying or serving articles or food trough - a long narrow shallow receptacle
	2.	receptacle - enlarged tip of a stem that bears the floral parts gynobase - the enlarged receptacle in which the pistil is borne plant part, plant structure - any part of a plant or fungus stalk, stem - a slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ
	3.	receptacle - an electrical (or electronic) fitting that is connected to a source of power and equipped to receive an insert fitting - a small and often standardized accessory to a larger system outlet box - (electricity) receptacle consisting of the metal box designed for connections to a wiring system expansion slot, slot - (computer) a socket in a microcomputer that will accept a plug-in circuit board; "the PC had three slots for additional memory" socket - a receptacle into which an electric device can be inserted electric outlet, electric receptacle, electrical outlet, wall plug, wall socket, outlet - receptacle providing a place in a wiring system where current can be taken to run electrical devices

receptacle

noun container, case, box, holder, vessel, drum, basin, crate, canister, repository a receptacle for water

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

وعاء، إناء

nádoba

beholder

Behälter Gefäß

citerne réceptacle récipient

ílát

ricettacolo

talpykla

konteinerstvertne

kap

容器

receptacle

[rɪˈseptəkl] N (frm) → receptáculo m, recipiente m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

receptacle

[rɪˈsɛptɪk^əl] n → récipient m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

receptacle

n → Behälter m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

receptacle

[rɪˈsɛptəkl] n (frm) → recipiente m

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

receptacle

(rəˈseptəkl) noun

a container of some kind. A dustbin is a receptacle for rubbish.

References in classic literature ?

Geometrical Details.--Calculation of the Capacity of the Balloon.--The Double Receptacle.--The Covering.--The Car.--The Mysterious Apparatus.

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The Trust might be locked up in any one of some twenty receptacles for papers, situated in four different rooms; and which room was the likeliest to look in, which receptacle was the most promising to begin with, which position among other heaps of papers the one paper needful might be expected to occupy, was more than she could say.

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This was a body resembling a milk can in its general form, above which oscillated a pear-shaped receptacle, and from which a stream of white powder flowed into a circular basin below.

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This place has previously been mentioned as the receptacle for the blanket-pieces, when stript and hoisted from the whale.

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In the cabin were arms and ammunition, and hidden in a secret receptacle in the cabin table was one of those infernal machines, the construction of which had occupied much of Paulvitch's spare time when he had stood high in the confidence of the Nihilists of his native land.

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I had made her a receptacle of lurid things, but there was an odd recognition of my superiority--my accomplishments and my function-- in her patience under my pain.

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And I flatter myself the observations in my last paper must have gone no inconsiderable way towards proving that it was not easy, if practicable, to find a more fit receptacle for the power of determining impeachments, than that which has been chosen.

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The lieutenant, returning from a tour after a bandage, produced from a hidden receptacle of his mind new and portentous oaths suited to the emergency.

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The servants tugged with might and main, but could not lift this enormous receptacle, and were finally obliged to drag it across the floor.

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So saying, the thoughtless fellow lit a match by striking it on the sole of his boot; and approached the burner fixed to the receptacle, in which the carbonized hydrogen, stored at high pressure, sufficed for the lighting and warming of the projectile for a hundred and forty-four hours, or six days and six nights.

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On the sidewalk a Salvation lassie shook her contribution receptacle gently against my waistcoat pocket.

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I was a mere receptacle for dust and ashes, a living testimony to the vanity of all things.