crate

1 of 2

noun

plural crates
1
a
: an open box typically of wooden slats or latticed plastic and used for transporting and storing goods
a crate of oranges
see also milk crate
b
: a usually wooden protective case or framework used for shipping
a packing crate
She purchased ten shipping crates made with wood edges and plastic-covered cardboard sides, all neatly broken down for easy assembly.Tom Clancy
2
: a usually box-shaped container or cage that has openings for airflow and that is used for confining or carrying animals (such as dogs or cats)
The store carries a variety of pet crates.
Teach children to let resting dogs lie and to stay out of dog crates, beds and other resting places that are designated for the dog.John Elder
3
informal + somewhat old-fashioned : a dilapidated old car or airplane
George Bernard's most immediate concern is not the war, but his failing car battery. He can hardly get his old crate cranked up, and a new battery costs $300 …Phil McCombs
From Blake: "I am not sure this crate will fly. Dump everything out." … In our compartment Doug yanks up his bombing sight, opens the floor hatch and tosses it.Williamson Murray

crate

2 of 2

verb

crated; crating; crates

transitive verb

: to pack or place in a crate
crating items for shipping
Of course the ideal answer would seem to be to crate the dog. But with so many cars now being overly small, there may be no way to get a crate into a vehicle.Eleanor Price

Examples of crate in a Sentence

Noun The bear arrived at the zoo in a crate. Each milk crate holds nine bottles. They used a crate of oranges to make enough juice for everyone. One day the old crate just wouldn't start. Verb The equipment was crated today and will be shipped tomorrow.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The thieves placed Dundee’s medication, which was on the floorboard in front of the crate, in the glove box. Sydney Page, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 During a drop over Gaza City last week, the parachute on one of the heavy crates failed and the pallet crushed to death five of the hundreds of people amassed for a chance to collect some food. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024 Photos included in the agency's social media post show puppies being carried from the residence by people wearing gloves, masks, and foot coverings, as well as puppies in dog crates in vans parked at the property. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The crates will stay in those nooks and crannies until the storage areas are ready in the offsite facility; then the items will be unpacked and stored, while the crates are brought back to the museum to be reused for more packing. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 In a video of the March 5 release posted on Facebook, two of the sea lions immediately waddle out of their crate in Marina del Rey and back into the ocean. Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 Enjoy Easter morning making pancakes together, or send the crate to your teen enjoying their first few years living away from home. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024 Wooden, Norman, and the prospect instead circled a pair of orange crates pushed together for a table in the alley outside the back door and Johnson draped a tablecloth over the wood slats of the boxes. Scott Howard-Cooper., Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Periodically leave special treats in the crate throughout the evening and continue to every day or so for the next few weeks but don’t close the crate door. Lisa Bloch, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
These snakes were so big that, once crated, a forklift had been needed to move them. Rebecca Giggs, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 He's forced to climb from crate to crate to get back to safety. Nick Romano, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2021 This formula is crated to help with hydration and moisturizing for all skin types. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2024 The five celebrities — two pairs of juvenile siblings from two Oregon packs and an adult from a third pack — were shot with tranquilizers from helicopters Sunday, then crated and flown east. Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2023 Five wolves — two juvenile females, two juvenile males and an adult male — with a mix of black and gray coats were examined, tested, crated and collared, and then flown to Colorado by volunteer pilots. Anna Kramer, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 These days, the balloons are simply deflated, crated and stored in New Jersey once the parade ends. Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023 Works are crated, unpacked, installed, sold (or not), and shipped out to the buyer. Vulture, 5 June 2023 Manny Machado, whose career on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .829 had crated to .544, landed a day off — though the main goal was to rest a cranky back on the unforgiving turf. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin cratis

First Known Use

Noun

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crate was in 1790

Dictionary Entries Near crate

Cite this Entry

“Crate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

crate

1 of 2 noun
: a box or frame of wooden slats or boards for packing or protecting something in shipment

crate

2 of 2 verb
crated; crating
: to pack in a crate

More from Merriam-Webster on crate

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