Spanish word

papelera

Pronunciation

IPA/papeˈleɾa/

Meaning

  • feminine nountrash can

Example

¿Dónde está la papelera?

Where is the trash can?

Illustration for papelera (trash can)

More examples

Pon la botella en la papelera.

Put the bottle in the trash can.

Core concept

Small bin for paper and light rubbish.

Common phrases

  • al lado de la papelera

    beside the trash can

  • tirar a la papelera

    throw into the trash can

  • papelera de la oficina

    office trash can

Similar words

basurero: Holds everyday and organic waste for household or outdoor disposal.
papelero: Holds paper waste and light stationery debris on a desktop.
cubo de basura: Holds daily kitchen waste in a portable mid-size pail with a handle.
contenedor: Holds large amounts of communal or bulky refuse outdoors for collection.

Definition in Spanish

Contenedor destinado a recoger desechos de papel y basura ligera en hogares, oficinas o espacios públicos.

Word origin

From Spanish papel 'paper' plus the suffix -era that marks a container or place, papelera names a receptacle for paper.

Usage tips

  • In everyday use papelera usually means a small indoor paper-focused bin rather than a large outdoor garbage container, and larger or municipal bins are called cubo de basura or contenedor.

Other meanings

  • wastepaper basketnoun

Related words

  • papelerowastepaper basketnoun

Word lists with this word