basket, noun

Origin:
EnglishShow more Special sense of general English.
A container of closely-plaited grass or reeds, used (especially in the past) in rural African homesteads to hold milk; milk-basket, see milk sense 1.
1790 tr. of F. Le Vaillant’s Trav. II. 4Narina..sent me a basket of goats-milk, which she knew I was very fond of.
1801 J. Barrow Trav. I. 70 (Pettman)In the evening they sent us in return some baskets of milk.
1829 C. Rose Four Yrs in Sn Afr. 168In the evening, the people from the adjoining kraals flocked around us fearlessly, bringing baskets of sweet and sour milk for sale.
1835 A. Steedman Wanderings I. 56Milk and millet were produced..my looking rather squeamishly at the greasy basket which contained the former.
1860 W. Shaw Story of my Mission 413A large milk-sack and some small baskets of platted grass cunningly constructed to hold liquids.
1866 W.C. Holden Past & Future 284The milk is not served up in a very ‘lordly dish,’ but usually in a dirty calabash, or basket.
1956 F.C. Metrowich Valiant but Once 108A solitary Kaffir came into the camp, ostensibly to sell a basket of milk.
A container of closely-plaited grass or reeds, used (especially in the past) in rural African homesteads to hold milk; milk-basket, see milk sense 1.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

17901956

Browse Related Words

By Category

Household Items
Cooking

By Origin

English
basics, nounn.Basotho blanket, noun phrasen. phr.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English