receptacle

What it means

1. A container.

   […] and an anonymous scribe whose letter has been consigned to the receptacle most appropriate for such communications.

   1951 May, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 334

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   “Divine receptacle of excellence, let it not be deemed impertinent, or deviating from the rules of propriety, if I propound one queſtion which now labours in my breaſt; aſſuring me firſt, you will not let the ſceptre of true judgment depart from your right hand.”

   1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page 11

   Darkness had no effect upon my fancy; and a churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life, which, from being the seat of beauty and strength, had become food for the worm.

   1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter III, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC

   It must be conceded that a common poor-house is by no means a fit receptacle for lunatics, under any consideration either of the cure of the patients, or the comfort of the other inmates.

   1829 April, “Dorset Pauper Lunatic Asylum”, in The Crypt, or Receptacle for Things Past, and West of England Magazine (New Series), volume I, part I, number IV, Winchester, Hampshire: Published by Charles Henry Wheeler, Public Library, High-Street, →OCLC, pages 147–148

   Receptacles used for storing inedible material must be of such material and construction that their use will not result in the adulteration of any edible product or in the creation of insanitary conditions. Such receptacles must not be used for storing any edible product and must bear conspicuous and distinctive marking to identify the permitted uses.

   2012, Y. H. Hui, “Sanitation Performance Standards”, in Y. H. Hui, editor, Handbook of Meat and Meat Processing, 2nd edition, Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, →ISBN, page 733

2. biologyThe part of the flower stalk (peduncle or pedicel) to which the floral parts are attached; a thalamus, a torus.

   A basic flower […] has four series of parts arranged in concentric whorls (or rings) on the receptacle, which is the name given to the expanded end of the pedicel (flower stalk).

   2003, Ian Clarke, Helen Lee, “The Structure of Flowers”, in Name that Flower: The Identification of Flowering Plants, 2nd edition, Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, Melbourne University Publishing, →ISBN, page 7

   1 more example

   The form of the flower is highly dependent on the structure of the receptacle, even though this may not always be obvious externally. The receptacle is also called the floral axis, or it is sometimes called the torus, which may be translated as "swelling". These expressions per se imply that, although in the majority of cases the receptacle is greatly reduced, it is frequently thickened in a capitate form or broadened into a definitely disc-like shape.

   1992, F[ocko] Weberling, “Morphology of Flowers”, in R. J. Pankhurst, transl., Morphology of Flowers and Inflorescences, 1st paperback edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 19

   1. biologyA condensed rachis of a capitate or umbellate inflorescence at the end of the peduncle, to which all of the florets or pedicels are attached.

      1 more example

      All flowers in a head share a common receptacle. The receptacle may be flat or convex. It may bear tiny scales called paleae. The paleae of a receptacle are referred to as chaff. Receptacles without paleae are said to be epaleate or naked. When the paleae are shed, they may leave either a smooth or a pitted receptacle. Occasionally, hairs, scales, or bristles may also be present on the receptacle.

      2015, Robert H. Mohlenbrock, “Descriptions and Illustrations”, in Flowering Plants: Asteraceae, Part I (The Illustrated Flora of Illinois), Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University Press, →ISBN, page 7

In a sentence

“Divine receptacle of excellence, let it not be deemed impertinent, or deviating from the rules of propriety, if I propound one queſtion which now labours in my breaſt; aſſuring me firſt, you will not let the ſceptre of true judgment depart from your right hand.”

1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page 11

Where it comes from

1. Latinreceptāculum“animal enclosure, container, place of refuge, receptacle, repository, reservoir, shelter”
2. Middle Frenchreceptacle“organ containing a fluid; gathering place; water basin”
3. Anglo-Normanreceptacle
4. Middle Englishreceptacle
5. Englishreceptacle

From Middle English receptacle, from Anglo-Norman receptacle and Middle French receptacle (“organ containing a fluid; gathering place; water basin”) (modern French réceptacle), from Latin receptāculum (“animal enclosure, container, place of refuge, receptacle, repository, reservoir, shelter”), from receptāre (“to harbour, to receive, to shelter”) or receptō (“to receive back or again, to recover”), frequentative of recipiō (“to receive; to hold back, to reserve”) (from re- (“back, again”) + capiō (“to hold”)) + -culum (suffix forming nouns from verbs, particularly nouns representing tools and instruments); cognate with Italian recettaculo, ricettaculo, Portuguese receptáculo, Spanish receptáculo. Doublet of receptaculum.