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Added 9 October 2026

receptacle

/ɹɪˈsɛptəkəl/ noun

In Latin: receptāculum Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about receptacle at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A container that is used to put or keep things in.
Enlarged tip of a stem that bears the floral parts.
An electrical (or electronic) fitting that is connected to a source of power and equipped to receive an insert.

Origin

From Middle English receptacle, from Anglo-Norman receptacle and Middle French receptacle (“organ containing a fluid; gathering place; water basin”) (modern French réceptacle), from Latin receptāculum (“animal enclosure, container, place of refuge, receptacle, repository, reservoir, shelter”), from receptāre (“to harbour, to receive, to shelter”) or receptō (“to receive back or again, to recover”), frequentative of recipiō (“to receive; to hold back, to reserve”) (from re- (“back, again”) + capiō (“to hold”)) + -culum (suffix forming nouns from verbs, particularly nouns representing tools and instruments); cognate with Italian recettaculo, ricettaculo, Portuguese receptáculo, Spanish receptá.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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