bin

BIN/bɪn/

Pluralbins

Verbbins, binning, binned

16 meanings of bin

Practice

1
trash cannouncountable
A container where you throw away trash.
Put the banana peel in the bin, please.
The bins behind the school are emptied every Friday.
UsageIn American English, people more often say trash can or garbage can.
Similardustbin, wastebin
2
storage boxnouncountable
A box or closed space where things like grain, coal, or wine are kept.
We keep the dog food in a big plastic bin in the garage.
The farmer filled the bin with fresh corn.
UsageOften named by what is inside: a coal bin, a grain bin.
Similarcontainer, receptacle
Note
3
son ofnoun
Son of. It is used in Arabic names, before the name of a man's father.
Omar bin Yusuf took over the bakery that his father, Yusuf, opened.
The letter was signed Ali bin Hassan.
UsageUsually written with a small b inside a name: Ali bin Hassan.
Note
4
throw awayverbcolloquialBritishtransitive
To throw something in the bin, or to give up on a plan or idea.
Just bin those old magazines. Nobody reads them any more.
We binned our picnic plans when it started to rain.
UsageWrite binned and binning with two n's.
Similarchuck, toss, dump, ditch, discard
Oppositekeep
Note
5
nouncomputing
A folder on a computer that holds the files that make programs run.
Copy the program into your bin so you can start it from anywhere.
The setup tool puts the game's main file in the bin folder.
Note
6
chart intervalnouncountable
One of the number ranges that data is sorted into in a chart called a histogram.
Each bin in this chart covers ten years of age.
Most of the test scores fell into the middle bins.
Similarinterval, bucket
Note

Less common meanings

7
storeverbtransitive
To put something into a bin so it can be stored.
After the harvest, farmers bin the corn to keep it dry.
We binned the potatoes in the cellar for the winter.
UsageHere bin means keep something, not throw it away.
Similarstore, cellar
Note
8
nouncolloquialcountable
In some sports, the place where a player who is sent off for a short time has to wait.
The referee sent him to the bin for ten minutes.
With their captain in the bin, the team had only fourteen players on the field.
UsageUsually sent to the bin or in the bin.
Note
9
verbtransitive
To sort numbers or measurements into separate groups.
We binned the test scores into groups of ten points.
First, bin the heights so you can count how many kids are in each group.
Similargroup, bucket
Note
10
ones and zerosnouncountable or uncountableabbreviationclipping
Short for binary: a file holding data other than plain text, or a number system using only 0 and 1.
Copy the new bin onto the memory card to update the camera.
Switch the calculator to bin to see the number in ones and zeros.
Note
11
mental hospitalnounslangabbreviationellipsis
Short for loony bin: a rude slang word for a hospital for people with mental illness.
After his breakdown, people in town said he had been sent to the bin.
"This job is driving me crazy. I'll end up in the bin," he joked.
Note
12
nouncountable
A folder inside a video editing program where you keep clips, sounds, and pictures.
Put all the interview clips in one bin so you can find them later.
Her project has separate bins for music and sound effects.
Similarfolder
Note
13
beenverbdialectal
Another spelling of been: written the way some people say it, in local speech and texts.
Where have you bin all day? I called you twice!
Sorry, I've bin really busy this week.
UsageUse the spelling been in school or work writing.
Note
14
contractionnonstandard
Short for being: spelled this way in casual texts, as in sorry for bin late.
15
noundialectalMulticultural London English
A prison, where people are locked up for breaking the law.
16
noun
One of the same-sized parts that radar splits the sky into.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of bin apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 4–9, 11–12

From Old English binn, meaning a crib or manger. It goes back to a Celtic word for a cart.

Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

English bin derives from Old English binn. en.wiktionary.org
Old English binn meant a crib or manger. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 3

From the Arabic word bin, meaning “son”.

Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Bin in Arabic names comes from Arabic bin. en.wiktionary.org
Arabic bin means son. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 13

A spelling of been that shows how it is often said.

Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

Bin is a pronunciation spelling of been. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 10

A shortened form of binary.

Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

The computing word bin is a shortened form of binary. en.wiktionary.org