self-contained unit
Complete standalone entity
A self-contained unit is something complete in itself, requiring nothing external to function.
In housing, it describes an apartment with its own kitchen, bathroom, and entrance—no shared facilities: The garage was converted into a self-contained unit.
The phrase extends to any system or module that operates independently: Each chapter functions as a self-contained unit.
- moduleIndependent functional component
- capsuleEnclosed dose container
- escape podEmergency spacecraft for evacuation
- apartmentRented unit in building
- studio apartmentSingle-room residence
pod · studio · cell · compartment · standalone · stand alone · independent · compact · enclosed · dwelling · living quarters · cabin · mobile home · suite · portable · modular · detached · package
- ice makersice maker, icemaker, ice machine, ice bin, ice dispenser
- ice machine partscuber, flaker, evaporator, compressor, condenser
self-contained unitfragment
Incomplete portion of whole
subsystem · building block · subcomponent · subassembly · kit
self-contained unitdistributed system
Coordinated independent computers
open system · subsystem · mesh network · node · cluster
contained, contain, contains, containing, container, containers, containment, uncontained, selves