barrel (redirected from over a 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

Noun

1. a cylindrical container usually with rounded sides and flat ends, and held together by metal hoops

2. a unit of capacity of varying amount in different industries

3. the tube through which the bullet of a firearm is fired

4. over a barrel Informal powerless

Verb

[-relling, -relled] or US [-reling, -reled]

to put into a barrel or barrels [Old French baril]

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"

Translations

barrel [ˈbærəl] n → barril m [of wine] → tonel m; cuba; [of gun] → cañón m

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barrel [ˈbærəl] n → tonneau m [of gun]; canon m

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barrel [ˈbærəl] n → FaSS nt;

(of oil) → Barrel nt;

(of gun) → Lauf m

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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 (가운데가 불룩한)통; 한 통의 양 statinė muca tong ton tønne, fat beczka barril butoi бочка sud sod bure fat, tunna ถังใส่ของเหลว varil 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 鎗管，管狀物 ствол, дуло بیلن nòng súng 枪管