Phrase guide

recycle bin

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A container in which items to be recycled may be placed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

In Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files, from which they can be retrieved or permanently deleted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

First sense appears c. 1971, in the Arizona Daily Sun. Computing sense appears in 1995 with the Windows 95 operating system.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: աղբաման (aġbaman) — container
  • Chinese Mandarin: 資源回收筒 /资源回收筒 (zīyuán huíshōu tǒng) — container
  • Finnish: kierrätysastia — container
  • French: corbeille — container
  • German: Papierkorb — container
  • Hindi: पुनर्चक्रण पात्र (punarcakraṇ pātra) — container
  • Hungarian: lomtár — container
  • Hungarian: hulladékgyűjtő — container
  • Korean: 휴지통 (hyujitong) — container
  • Macedonian: ка́нта за рецикли́рање (kánta za reciklíranje) — container
  • Norwegian: papirkurv — container
  • Romanian: coș de reciclare — container
  • Russian: му́сорная корзи́на (músornaja korzína) — container
  • Russian: корзи́на (korzína) — container
  • Swedish: papperskorg — container
  • Swedish: soptunna — container
  • Swedish: återvinningscontainer — container
  • Turkish: geri dönüşüm kutusu — container
  • Arabic: سَلَّة الْمَحْذُوفَات — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Armenian: աղբաման (aġbaman) — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Azerbaijani: zibil qutusu — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Chinese Mandarin: 資源回收筒 /资源回收筒 (zīyuán huíshōu tǒng) — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Chinese Mandarin: 回收站 (huíshōuzhàn) — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Finnish: roskakori — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Galician: papeleira de reciclaxe — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • German: Papierkorb — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Hungarian: lomtár — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Japanese: ごみ箱 (gomibako) — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Polish: kosz — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Portuguese: reciclagem — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Romanian: coș de gunoi — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Russian: му́сорная корзи́на (músornaja korzína) — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Spanish: papelera de reciclaje — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Swedish: papperskorg — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Thai: ถังรีไซเคิล (tǎng-rii-sai-kə̂n) — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Turkish: geri dönüşüm kutusu — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Ukrainian: кошик (košyk) — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files
  • Vietnamese: thùng rác — (computing) in Microsoft Windows, a storage location for deleted files