barrel

SayBA-ruhl/ˈbæɹəl/UK/ˈbæɹ(ə)l/AUS/ˈbæɹəɫ/

19 meanings of barrel

1
nouncountable
A round wooden container with curved sides, held together by metal rings and flat at both ends.
Like a big round wooden tub for holding liquids.
They filled the barrel with fresh water from the well.
Old wooden barrels lined the wall of the shop.
Similarcask, keg, drum
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2
nouncountable
The long metal tube of a gun that a bullet travels through when fired.
Like a straw that the bullet shoots out of.
He cleaned the barrel of his rifle after the hunt.
Smoke drifted from the barrel as the shot echoed.
3
nouncountable
A unit for measuring liquids or goods, equal to one full container of a set amount.
Like saying "a cupful" but much bigger.
The recipe calls for half a barrel of apples.
Farmers sold three barrels of grain at the market.
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4
verbintransitive
To move very fast, often without proper control.
Like a ball rolling fast down a steep hill.
The truck came barreling down the hill toward us.
Kids barrel through the door the moment school ends.
Similarhurtle, charge, race, tear, rush
Oppositecrawl, creep
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5
nouncountable
A cask of a fixed size that holds one-eighth of what a large tun holds.
Like one slice of a pie cut into eight equal pieces.
A full barrel holds far less than a giant tun.
They ordered two barrels of wine for the wedding.
Similarcask
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6
nouncountable
A round, tube-shaped part inside a machine, either solid or hollow.
Like the round tube inside a roll of paper towels.
The watch has a tiny barrel that holds the spring.
Grease the barrel before fitting the new part.
Similarcylinder, drum, tube
7
verbtransitive
To put something into a barrel for storing or moving it.
Like packing toys into a box before a move.
Workers barrel the apples right after picking.
They barreled the fish to sell in winter.
8
nouncountable
A wave that curls over to make a hollow tube of water as it breaks.
Like a tunnel made of water that a surfer rides through.
The surfer rode inside the barrel for a few seconds.
Big barrels formed off the reef that morning.
Similartube, pipe
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9
nouncountable
The short tube on a clarinet that joins the mouthpiece to the main body.
Like a small connecting piece between two parts of a pipe.
She pulled the barrel out slightly to tune the clarinet.
A crack in the barrel changed the instrument's sound.
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10
nouncountable
The rounded middle part of a horse, made up of its ribs and belly.
Like the round, full middle of a large drum.
The pony had a wide, round barrel and short legs.
She tightened the strap around the horse's barrel.

11
noundialectalNew EnglandUScountable
A large container for holding trash or garbage.
Like the trash can in your kitchen, but much bigger.
Toss the empty cans in the barrel by the back door.
The barrels behind the diner were overflowing after the weekend.
Similarcan, bin
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12
nouncountable
In baseball, a really well-hit ball, judged by its speed and angle off the bat.
Like getting a perfect score for how cleanly you hit something.
He hit a barrel in the fifth inning that nearly cleared the fence.
Their best hitter recorded several barrels this season.
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13
nouncountable
The hollow lower part of a feather, where it attaches to the bird.
Like the empty bottom of a drinking straw.
The barrel of the feather was clear and hollow inside.
She trimmed the barrels off the feathers before starting her craft.
Similarquill
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14
nouncountable
In an engine, the tube in a carburetor where air speeds up and mixes with fuel.
Like a narrow part of a pipe that makes water flow faster.
This old carburetor has just one barrel for the air to flow through.
Mechanics cleaned the barrels to fix the rough idle.
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15
verbintransitive
To curve outward at the sides, so straight lines in a picture bow out.
Like how a balloon's sides push out when you squeeze it.
The image began to barrel at the edges when the lens zoomed out.
Old TV pictures often barreled near the corners of the screen.
Similarbulge, bow
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16
nouncountable
In TV and theater, a tube fixed to the ceiling that stage lights hang from.
Like a curtain rod, but for hanging lights.
The crew clamped three spotlights onto the barrel above the set.
Cables ran neatly along the barrels overhead.
Similarpipe, batten
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17
nouncountable
In a rodent's brain, one of the dark patches that take in touch signals from the opposite side of the body.
Like little mailboxes in the brain, each one getting touch messages from one whisker.
Each barrel in the mouse's brain matches a single whisker.
Scientists stained the slice to make the barrels easy to see.
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18
nounarchaic
A hollow tube or pipe of any kind.
Like a drinking straw: any hollow tube counts.
Water ran down through a barrel of hollowed wood into the cistern.
The old pump's barrels had rusted shut over the years.
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19
nounobsolete
A jar or pot for holding food or drink.
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Practice

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Origin

From Middle English "barel", from Old French "baril" meaning "barrel." Its origin is uncertain.