container

Noun

container (plural containers)

1. An item in which objects, materials or data can be stored or transported.
2. A very large, typically metal, box used for transporting goods.
   • Will container development merely bring about a substitution for the body of the covered wagon? Probably not, in his view, but he believes that the size and tonnage of the container are likely to increase pari passu with the lifting capacity of handling appliances.1963 April, “Beyond the Channel: France: Freight stock of the future”, in Modern Railways, page 269
   • The specifiers of the Freightliner network had the foresight to base the rail journey on carrying ISO containers which are 8ft wide and originally 8ft tall (although now increased to a height of 9ft 6ins), with a variety of lengths.2020 May 20, Industry Insider, “An online boost for freight”, in Rail, page 68

   Synonyms:

   cargo container, shipping container

3. (broadly) Someone who holds people in their seats or in a (reasonably) calm state.
4. (file format) A file format that can hold various types of data.
   • As the MP4 container can store audio, video, or both, the M4A naming and file extension is used to hint that this MP4 container holds solely audio information.2011, Cory Altheide, Harlan Carvey, Digital Forensics with Open Source Tools, page 187

   Synonyms:

   container format

5. (object-oriented programming) An abstract data type whose instances are collections of other objects.
   • This advantage is the primary incentive for using a list container, rather than a vector or a deque.2015, Ivor Horton, Using the C++ Standard Template Libraries, Apress, →ISBN, page 64
6. Any user interface component that can hold further (child) components.
   • Flex automatically creates a TabBar container at the top of the TabNavigator container, with a tab corresponding to each child container. Each tab can have its own label and icon.2007, Rich Tretola, Simon Barber, Renaun Erickson, Professional Adobe Flex 2, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 62
7. (Java programming language) A web container.
8. (cloud computing) A bundle consisting of operating system, application code and dependencies to be run sandboxed inside a virtualized environment; (by extension) the environment itself.
   • Generally, when people think of serverless computing, they tend to think of applications with back-ends that run on third-party services, also described as code running on ephemeral containers.2017, Maddie Stigler, Beginning Serverless Computing, Apress, →ISBN, page 1
   • The application components all run in containers. They are isolated like VMs but lightweight and efficient like PaaS services.2020, Elton Stoneman, chapter 1, in Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, →ISBN

   Synonyms:

   software container

9. (crosswording) A type of cryptic device where one word is inserted into another.
   • As with all varieties of cryptic clues, the container device can be used in conjunction with other devices, especially in more complex cryptic crosswords.2012 June 13, Denise Sutherland, Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 48
   • Container word clues are actually three clues in one.2013 July 1, John P.Stewart, Don't Let Cryptic Crossword Clues Fool You: Intellectual Stimulation and Mental Alertness Guaranteed, Booktango, →ISBN