The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Basket \Bas"ket\, n. [Of unknown origin. The modern Celtic words
   seem to be from the English.]
   1. A vessel made of osiers or other twigs, cane, rushes,
      splints, or other flexible material, interwoven. "Rude
      baskets . . . woven of the flexile willow." --Dyer.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The contents of a basket; as much as a basket contains;
      as, a basket of peaches.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Arch.) The bell or vase of the Corinthian capital.
      [Improperly so used.] --Gwilt.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. The two back seats facing one another on the outside of a
      stagecoach. [Eng.] --Goldsmith.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. A container shaped like a basket[1], even if made of solid
      material rather than woven; -- the top is often, but not
      always, open and without a lid.
      [PJC]

   6. a vessel suspended below a balloon, designed to carry
      people or measuring instruments for scientific research.

   Note: The earliest balloons designed to carry people often
         had small vessels of woven flexible vegetable materials
         to hold the passengers, which resembled large
         baskets[1], from which the name was derived.
         [PJC]

   7. (Basketball) A goal[3] consisting of a short cylindrical
      net suspended from a circular rim, which itself is
      attached at about ten feet above floor level to a
      backboard, placed at the end of a basketball court. In
      professional basketball, two such baskets are used, one at
      each end of the court, and each team may score only by
      passing the ball though its own basket. In informal games,
      only one such basket is often used.
      [PJC]

   8. (Basketball) An instance of scoring points by throwing the
      basketball through the basket; as, he threw four baskets
      in the first quarter; -- the ball must pass through the
      basket from above in order to score points.
      [PJC]

   Basket fish (Zool.), an ophiuran of the genus
      Astrophyton, having the arms much branched. See
      Astrophyton.

   Basket hilt, a hilt with a covering wrought like basketwork
      to protect the hand. --Hudibras. Hence,

   Basket-hilted, a.

   Basket work, work consisting of plaited osiers or twigs.

   Basket worm (Zool.), a lepidopterous insect of the genus
      Thyridopteryx and allied genera, esp. Thyridopteryx
      ephemer[ae]formis. The larva makes and carries about a
      bag or basket-like case of silk and twigs, which it
      afterwards hangs up to shelter the pupa and wingless adult
      females.

   collection basket, a small basket[1] mounted on the end of
      a pole, used in churches to collect donations from those
      attending a church service; -- the long pole allows the
      collector to hold the basket in front of those at the end
      of the pew, while the collector remains in the aisle.

   waste basket, a basket[4] used to hold waste matter, such
      as discarded paper, commonly shaped like a truncated cone,
      with the wide end open and at the top. Vessels of other
      shapes, such as oblong containers, are also called waste
      baskets.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

basket hilt
    n 1: a hilt with a basket-shaped guard for the hand