The sign for "basket" uses "C" handshapes. The "C" handshapes in this sign are functioning as "classifiers" or what might be written as "C:CL" or "CL:C." What it is classifying is a whole range of large cylindrical objects like telephone poles, garbage cans, or (in my home) laundry baskets. We use tall round laundry baskets for dirty clothes and the shorter/wider baskets for clean clothes.
Note: The "typical" sign for basket would use slightly curved "B" palms (with the thumbs alongside rather than across the palm), to show the shape of the basket--starting from the bottom center to the top sides.
You can also add a handle to the basket:
Large, tall, cylindrical object:
You can adjust the size of your basket. Here I'm showing a somewhat larger "hamper." Also, I'm sitting down as I sign this so the sign seems higher than if I were signing while standing up:
Student: Does the default meaning for the sign "basket" tend to be "garbage"? If I wanted to sign "basket", would people first assume I meant "garbage"? Or is this one of those matters-of-context?
Dr. Bill: No. I don't use basket for garbage. I might use the basket/cylinder sign after the sign garbage to mean "garbage CAN." GARBAGE has its own sign.
Notes: