receptacle
UK[rɪˈsɛptək(ə)l]US[rɪˈsɛptək(ə)l]
n
A container or device used to hold something.
n
(Botany) The enlarged end of a flower stalk that bears the parts of the flower.
n
(Electrical) A device designed to receive an electric plug to make a connection.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
cept
acle
re
again
cept
take
acle
noun suffix
Etymology
The word "receptacle" has a clear and logical journey from Latin to English. It originates from the Latin receptaculum, a noun derived from the verb recipere (to receive, take back), itself a combination of the prefix re- (back) and capere (to take). The literal sense of receptaculum was "a place or container for receiving and holding things." This concrete meaning was preserved as the term entered Middle English via Old French. Over time, its application broadened in specialized fields like botany and electrical engineering, but the core semantic link—a thing that receives and holds—remains transparent, connecting the ancient act of "taking back" to the modern concept of a container or receiving vessel.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + cept (take) + acle (noun suffix)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- cept: Latin origin, from the root capere (to take, seize), functioning as the core verb root.
- acle: Latin origin, a noun-forming suffix (-aculum) indicating a place or instrument for an action.
Examples
Please dispose of your trash in the designated receptacle.
In the center of the flower, the receptacle supports the petals and stamens.
He plugged the lamp into the wall receptacle.