containers

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

   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

See all 9 meanings of container