bucket

BUK-it/ˈbʌkɪt/

24 meanings of bucket

1
containernouncountable
A hard container, often with a handle, used to carry liquids or small things.
She filled the bucket at the tap and carried it to the garden.
The kids used a small bucket to collect shells on the beach.
Similarpail
Note
2
nouncountable
As much as a bucket can hold.
We used three buckets of sand to fill the hole.
The kids picked a bucket of blueberries before lunch.
Similarpail
3
nouncolloquialcountableplural
A lot of liquid, like heavy rain or sweat.
We all cried buckets at the end of the movie.
The old roof leaked buckets during the storm.
Note
4
pour downverbcolloquialintransitive
To rain very hard.
Take a coat, because it's going to bucket down later.
It was bucketing down when we left the movie theater.
Similarpour, teem, pelt, sheet
5
lots of anythingnouncolloquialcountableplural
A lot of something, like money or fun.
Her first book made buckets of money.
The new puppy has buckets of energy.
Similarloads, lots, heaps, tons, oodles
6
nouncountable
A part of a machine that is shaped like a bucket, like a scoop.
The machine's big bucket scooped up a pile of dirt.
Each bucket on the waterwheel filled as it dipped into the stream.
Similarscoop
7
basketball scorenouncolloquialcountable
In basketball, a shot that goes through the hoop during play.
She scored the winning bucket with two seconds left.
He made ten buckets in a row in the second half.
Similarbasket
Note
8
basketball hoopnouncolloquialcountable
In basketball, the hoop that players throw the ball through.
He dribbled past two players and went straight to the bucket.
She waited near the bucket for a rebound.
Similarbasket, hoop, rim
Note
9
old carnounslangcountable
An old car or other vehicle that does not run well.
His first car was a rusty old bucket that broke down every week.
We drove that bucket all the way to the coast.
Similarclunker, wreck, jalopy, banger, beater
Note
10
sort dataverbtransitive
To sort data into groups of items that belong together.
The app buckets your photos by the month they were taken.
Our teacher showed us how to bucket the test scores into five groups.
Similargroup, bin, sort, categorize, classify
Note

11
handbagnouncountable
A handbag shaped like a bucket.
She slung a soft leather bucket over her shoulder and went out.
The store had totes, clutches, and buckets in every color.
12
hash tablenouncountable
In a kind of computer data table, a place that holds all items with the same key.
The program puts every item with the same key into one bucket.
Each bucket in the hash table holds a short list of items.
Note
13
put insideverbtransitive
To put something in a bucket.
We bucketed the crabs and carried them back to the car.
Bucket the ice before the guests arrive.
14
lift waterverbtransitive
To lift water or other things in buckets, or in a similar way.
We had to bucket water from the well to the garden.
The sailors bucketed water out of the leaky boat all night.
Similarbail, scoop
15
helmetnounslanghumorouscountable
A helmet that you wear to keep your head safe.
Put your bucket on before you get on the bike.
A hockey stick hit him on the head, but his bucket kept him safe.
Similarhelmet, lid
Note
16
go fastverbcolloquialintransitive
To travel very fast.
The little car was bucketing along the country road.
Always late, the twins bucket across the field on their bikes every morning.
Similarspeed, race, hurtle, barrel, zoom
Oppositecrawl, dawdle
17
drug usernounslangderogatorycountable
A person who often uses the drug crack cocaine.
'My cousin was a bucket for years before he got clean,' she said.
'Two buckets were arguing outside the corner store again,' he told his mom.
Similarcrackhead, addict, junkie
Note
18
criticize harshlyverbslangAustraliatransitive
To say very harsh things about someone or something.
The fans bucketed the umpire all the way home.
Don't bucket my cooking, mate, you haven't even tried it.
Similarslam, blast, slate, rubbish, lambaste
Oppositepraise, commend
Note
19
four gallonsnounarchaicUK
A unit for measuring how much something holds, equal to four gallons.
The barrel held ten buckets, which is forty gallons.
Long ago, farmers sold milk by the bucket, four gallons at a time.
Note
20
ride hardverbtransitive
To ride a horse very hard, without any kindness to it.
He bucketed the old mare all the way to town.
Don't bucket that pony just to win a ribbon.
Similarpush, overwork, flog
21
rowing (rushed)verbtransitive
In rowing, to rush forward clumsily while getting ready for the next stroke.
Tired rowers bucket the recovery near the end of a race.
The coach saw that I was bucketing the recovery and told me to slow down.
Similarrush
Note
22
turbine bladenounrarecountable
One of the blades in a turbine that hot gas or steam pushes around.
Hot gas from the engine spins each bucket on the turbine wheel.
The mechanic found a small crack in one turbine bucket.
Similarblade, vane
Note
23
leather holdernouncountable
A leather holder for a whip when driving horses, or for a gun or spear when riding.
The driver dropped the whip into its bucket and took the reins in both hands.
Each rider's lance rested in a leather bucket by the stirrup.
Similarsocket
24
orchid partnouncountable
A cup-shaped part of the flower in some orchids.
A bee fell into the orchid's bucket and could not climb out.
Drops of liquid filled the bucket at the center of the flower.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of bucket apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes partly from Old English bucc ("bucket") and partly from Old French buc ("belly"). Both go back to an old Germanic word meaning "belly".