a container that is usually woven and has handles
"She carried the freshly baked cookies home in a wicker basket with sturdy wooden handles."
horizontal circular metal hoop supporting a net through which players try to throw the basketball
"The ball swished through the basket as she made her final shot before time expired."
a score in basketball made by throwing the ball through the hoop
"After years of practice, he finally scored his first basket during the championship game."
A lightweight container, generally round, open at the top, and tapering toward the bottom.
"She reached into the wicker basket to pull out a fresh peach from the market stand."
In plain English: A basket is an open container made of woven material used for holding things.
"She placed the freshly baked cookies into a wicker basket to take to her neighbor."
Usage: Use "basket" to refer to a portable container made of woven material or similar substance with an open top, typically used for holding items like fruit or laundry. Do not use it as a verb or to describe non-woven storage bins unless they closely resemble this traditional design.
To place in a basket or baskets.
"The volunteers spent the afternoon picking apples and placing them into large wicker baskets for storage."
In plain English: To basket something means to put it into a basket.
"She decided to basket the fresh vegetables before putting them away."
Usage: Use "basket" as a verb only when describing the specific action of placing items into a basket or baskets, such as gathering flowers to put them in containers. It is rarely used outside of contexts involving floral arrangements or similar collection tasks where the object is explicitly being arranged for display or transport.
The word "basket" entered English via Middle English and Anglo-Norman, though its ultimate origins remain obscure. While one theory suggests it may have evolved from a Celtic root meaning "bundle," most linguists now consider this to be a loanword with no clear Indo-European ancestor.