barrel

bar·rel  (brl)

n.

1. A large cylindrical container, usually made of staves bound together with hoops, with a flat top and bottom of equal diameter.

2. The quantity that a barrel with a given or standard capacity will hold.

3. Abbr. bar. or bbl. or bl. Any of various units of volume or capacity. In the U.S. Customary System it varies, as a liquid measure, from 31 to 42 gallons (120 to 159 liters) as established by law or usage. See Table at measurement.

4. The cylindrical part or hollow shaft of any of various mechanisms, as:

a. The metal, cylindrical part of a firearm through which the bullet travels.

b. A cylinder that contains a movable piston.

c. The drum of a capstan.

d. The cylinder within the mechanism of a timepiece that contains the mainspring.

5. The trunk of a quadruped animal, such as a horse or cow.

6. Informal A large quantity: a barrel of fun.

7. Slang An act or instance of moving rapidly, often recklessly, in a motor vehicle.

adj.

Likened to a barrel, as in shape: a barrel chest; barrel hips.

v. bar·reled or bar·relled, bar·rel·ing or bar·rel·ling, bar·rels

v.tr.

To put or pack in a barrel.

v.intr. Slang

To move at a high speed or rate of progress: "That the European Union barreled ahead was not surprising" (Richard W. Stevenson).

Idioms:

on the barrel/barrelhead

Granting, giving, or requesting no credit: paid cash on the barrel for the car.

over a barrel

In a very awkward position from which extrication is difficult: During the negotiations the opposing faction had us over a barrel.

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[Middle English barel, from Old French baril.]

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barrel [ˈbærəl]

n

1. a cylindrical container usually bulging outwards in the middle and held together by metal hoops; cask

2. Also called barrelful the amount that a barrel can hold

3. (Mathematics & Measurements / Units) a unit of capacity used in brewing, equal to 36 Imperial gallons

4. (Mathematics & Measurements / Units) a unit of capacity used in the oil and other industries, normally equal to 42 US gallons or 35 Imperial gallons

5. a thing or part shaped like a barrel, esp a tubular part of a machine

6. (Military / Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) the tube through which the projectile of a firearm is discharged

7. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Horology) Horology the cylindrical drum in a watch or clock that is rotated by the mainspring

8. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) the trunk of a four-legged animal the barrel of a horse

9. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) the quill of a feather

10. Informal a large measure; a great deal (esp in the phrases barrel of fun, barrel of laughs)

11. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Swimming, Water Sports & Surfing) Austral informal the hollow inner side of a wave

over a barrel Informal powerless

scrape the barrel Informal to be forced to use one's last and weakest resource

vb -rels, -relling, -relled US, -rels -reling, -reled

1. (tr) to put into a barrel or barrels

2. (intr; foll by along, in, etc.) Informal to travel or move very fast (intr)

3. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Swimming, Water Sports & Surfing) Austral informal to ride on the inside of a wave

[from Old French baril perhaps from barre bar¹]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	barrel - a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired gun barrel gun - a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel) tube, tubing - conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases
	2.	barrel - a cylindrical container that holds liquids cask beer barrel, beer keg - a barrel that holds beer breech, rear of barrel, rear of tube - opening in the rear of the barrel of a gun where bullets can be loaded bung, spile - a plug used to close a hole in a barrel or flask butt - a large cask (especially one holding a volume equivalent to 2 hogsheads or 126 gallons) hogshead - a large cask especially one holding 63 gals hoop, ring - a rigid circular band of metal or wood or other material used for holding or fastening or hanging or pulling; "there was still a rusty iron hoop for tying a horse" keg - small cask or barrel pickle barrel - a barrel holding vinegar in which cucumbers are pickled shook - a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment stave, lag - one of several thin slats of wood forming the sides of a barrel or bucket spigot, tap - a plug for a bunghole in a cask tun - a large cask especially one holding a volume equivalent to 2 butts or 252 gals vessel - an object used as a container (especially for liquids) wine barrel, wine cask - a barrel that holds wine
	3.	barrel - a bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends drum cylinder - a surface generated by rotating a parallel line around a fixed line
	4.	barrel - the quantity that a barrel (of any size) will hold barrelful containerful - the quantity that a container will hold
	5.	barrel - any of various units of capacity; "a barrel of beer is 31 gallons and a barrel of oil is 42 gallons" bbl United States liquid unit - a liquid unit officially adopted in the United States Customary System British capacity unit, Imperial capacity unit - a unit of measure for capacity officially adopted in the British Imperial System; British units are both dry and wet gal, gallon - United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters congius, Imperial gallon, gallon - a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 4 quarts or 4.545 liters hogshead - a British unit of capacity for alcoholic beverages
Verb	1.	barrel - put in barrels lay, place, put, set, position, pose - put into a certain place or abstract location; "Put your things here"; "Set the tray down"; "Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children"; "Place emphasis on a certain point"

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barrel

noun cask, drum, butt, vat, cylinder, tub, keg, firkin barrels of pickled fish

Translations

barrel [ˈbærəl]

A. N

1. (gen) → barril m, tonel m; [of oil] → barril m; (for rain) → tina f (Tech) → tambor m
to have sb over a barrel → tener a algn con el agua al cuello
to scrape the (bottom of the) barrel → rebañar las últimas migas

2. [of gun, pen] → cañón m

B. CPD barrel organ N → organillo m
barrel vault N → bóveda f de cañón

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barrel [ˈbærəl] n

(= container) [beer, wine] → tonneau m; [fish] → caque f
to have sb over a barrel → avoir qn à sa merci
to scrape the bottom of the barrel, to scrape the barrel → racler les fonds de tiroir
to be a barrel of laughs [situation, event] → être une partie de plaisir
It wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs → Ce n'était pas vraiment une partie de plaisir.
The suppers are always a barrel of laughs
BUT On rigole toujours bien à ces dîners.; [person] → être rigolo(te)

(= standard unit) [oil] → baril m

[gun] → canon m
lock, stock, and barrel → en bloc
barrel organ n → orgue m de Barbarie

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barrel

n

→ Fass nt; (for oil, tar, rainwater etc) → Tonne f; (= measure: of oil) → Barrel nt; they’ve got us over a barrel (inf) → sie haben uns in der Zange (inf); it wasn’t exactly a barrel of laughs (inf) → es war nicht gerade komisch; she wasn’t exactly a barrel of laughs (inf) → sie war nicht gerade in bester Stimmung; to pay cash on the barrel (US) → bar auf den Tisch or die Kralle (inf) → zahlen ? biscuit, scrape

(of handgun) → Lauf m; (of cannon etc) → Rohr nt; to give somebody both barrels → auf jdn aus beiden Läufen feuern; I found myself looking down the barrel of a gun → ich hatte plötzlich eine Kanone vor der Nase (sl) ? lock²

(of fountain pen) → Tank m

vt wine etc → (in Fässer) (ab)füllen; herring → (in Fässer) einlegen; barrelled beer → Fassbier nt

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barrel:

barrel-chested

adj → breitbrüstig, mit gewölbter Brust; to be barrel → einen gewölbten Brustkasten haben

barrelful

n → Fass nt; (of oil) → Barrel nt

barrelhead

n to pay cash on the barrel (US) → bar auf den Tisch or die Kralle (inf) → zahlen

barrelhouse (US)

n → Kneipe f; (= jazz) → Kneipenjazz m

adj barrel blues alte, in Kneipen gespielte Form des Blues

barrel organ

n → Drehorgel f, → Leierkasten m

barrel roll

n (Aviat) → Rolle f (im Kunstflug)

barrel-shaped

adj → fass- or tonnenförmig; barrel man/woman → Fass nt (inf) → /Tonne f (inf)

barrel vault

n → Tonnengewölbe nt

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barrel [ˈbærəl] n → barile m; (of gun) → canna

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barrel [ˈbærəl] n → barile m; (of gun) → canna

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barrel

n barrel [ˈbӕrəl]

1 a container of curved pieces of wood or of metal The barrels contain beer. vat, vaatjie بَرْميل буре barel, sud tønde; anker das Faß βαρέλι barril vaat بشکه tynnyri tonneau חֲבִית पीपा bačva hordó tong, drum tunna barile たる 맥주 통 statinė muca tong ton tønne, fat beczka barril butoi бочка sud sod bure fat, tunna ถังใส่ของเหลว varil 圓桶 бочка لکڑی یا دھات کے ٹکڑوں کا بنایا ہوا گول ڈبہ thùng 桶

2 a long, hollow, cylindrical shape, especially the tube-shaped part of a gun The bullet jammed in the barrel of the gun. loop ماسورَة البُنْدُقِيَّه цев hlaveň geværløb der (Gewehr-)Lauf κάννη cañón (püssi)toru لوله تفنگ piippu canon קָנֶה הַרוֹבֶה बैरल cijev vatrenog oružja (ágyú)cső laras hlaup canna 銃身 총신 vamzdis (šautenes) stobrs; cilindrs laras loop sylinder, geværløp, børsepipe lufa cano ţeavă (de puşcă) ствол ружья hlaveň cev cev pipa, lopp ลำกล้องปืน namlu 槍管，管狀物 ствол, дуло بیلن nòng súng 枪管

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barrel → برميل sud tønde Fass βαρέλι barril tynnyri tonneau bačva barile 樽 통 ton tønne beczka barril бочка fat ถังใส่ของเหลว fıçı thùng tròn 桶