crate

Meanings

Noun

• A large open box or basket, used especially to transport fragile goods.
• A vehicle (car, aircraft, spacecraft, etc.) seen as unreliable.
• In the Rust programming language, a binary or library.

Verb

• To put into a crate.
• To keep in a crate.

Origin

• From Dutch krat ("crate, large box, basket"), from Middle Dutch cratte ("basketware, mold"), from Old Dutch *kratta, *kratto, from Proto-Germanic *kratjô, *krattijô, from Proto-Indo-European *gred-, *gre(n)t-, from Proto-Indo-European *ger- ("to bind, twist, wind"). Cognate with West Frisian kret ("wheelbarrow"), German Krätze ("basket"), Old English cræt, ceart, Old Norse kartr ("wagon"), modern English cart.
• Alternatively from Latin crātis, perhaps from the same PIE root.