barrel
A round () vessel, such as a cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends (). The word is sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.
Other meanings
Such a cask of a certain size, holding one-eighth of what a holds. (See a diagram comparing cask sizes.)
The quantity which constitutes a full barrel: the volume or weight this represents varies by local law and custom.
Synonyms
- drum
Word history
From Old French "baril".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “barrel” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.