BARREL

barrel, cask

(noun) a cylindrical container that holds liquids

barrel, gun barrel

(noun) a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired

barrel, bbl

(noun) any of various units of capacity; “a barrel of beer is 31 gallons and a barrel of oil is 42 gallons”

barrel, barrelful

(noun) the quantity that a barrel (of any size) will hold

barrel, drum

(noun) a bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends

barrel

(verb) put in barrels

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

barrel (plural barrels)

(countable) A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.

The quantity which constitutes a full barrel: the volume or weight this represents varies by local law and custom.

A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case

A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.

(archaic) A tube.

(zoology) The hollow basal part of a feather.

(music) The part of a clarinet which connects the mouthpiece and upper joint, and looks rather like a barrel (1).

(surfing) A wave that breaks with a hollow compartment.

(US, specifically New England) A waste receptacle.

The ribs and belly of a horse or pony.

(obsolete) A jar.

(biology) Any of the dark-staining regions in the somatosensory cortex of rodents, etc, where somatosensory inputs from the contralateral side of the body come in from the thalamus.

(baseball) A statistic derived from launch angle and exit velocity of a ball hit in play.

Synonyms

• (round vessel): cask, tun

Coordinate terms

• (round vessel): keg, vat

Verb

barrel (third-person singular simple present barrels, present participle barreling or barrelling, simple past and past participle barreled or barrelled)

(transitive) To put or to pack in a barrel or barrels.

(intransitive) To move quickly or in an uncontrolled manner.

Source: Wiktionary


Bar"rel, n.Etym: [OE. barel, F. baril, prob. fr. barre bar. Cf. Barricade.]

1. A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads.

2. The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31

3. A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case; as, the barrel of a windlass; the barrel of a watch, within which the spring is coiled.

4. A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged. Knight.

5. A jar. [Obs.] 1 Kings xvii. 12.

6. (Zoöl.)

Definition: The hollow basal part of a feather. Barrel bulk (Com.), a measure equal to five cubic feet, used in estimating capacity, as of a vessel for freight.

– Barrel drain (Arch.), a drain in the form of a cylindrical tube.

– Barrel of a boiler, the cylindrical part of a boiler, containing the flues.

– Barrel of the ear (Anat.), the tympanum, or tympanic cavity.

– Barrel organ, an instrument for producing music by the action of a revolving cylinder.

– Barrel vault. See under Vault.

Bar"rel, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Barreled (Barrelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Barreling, or Barrelling.]

Definition: To put or to pack in a barrel or barrels.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

30 January 2025

HYPERICISM

(noun) a severe dermatitis of herbivorous domestic animals attributable to photosensitivity from eating Saint John’s wort


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.

coffee icon