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Original · left

Container (box)

A box, jar, barrel, or large corrugated steel shipping crate used to hold goods.

First in use: the 1950s
Duplicate · right

Container (software)

A lightweight, isolated package containing application code together with its exact configuration files, libraries, and binaries.

First in use: c. 2013

Container / Container (box) / Container (software)

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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Shipping boxes vs. Docker.

Which meaning of Container is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Container (box) came first (the 1950s). Container (software) arrived in 2013. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Container (box)Container (software)
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

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The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · the 1950s

Container (box)

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Duplicate · c. 2013

Container (software)

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More duplicated terms

Programming & software