I. ˈber-əl, ˈba-rəl noun
Etymology: Middle English barel, from Anglo-French baril
Date: 14th century
1. : a round bulging vessel of greater length than breadth that is usually made of staves bound with hoops and has flat ends of equal diameter
2.
a. : the amount contained in a barrel ; especially : the amount (as 31 gallons of fermented beverage or 42 gallons of petroleum) fixed for a certain commodity used as a unit of measure
b. : a great quantity
3. : a drum or cylindrical part: as
a. : the discharging tube of a gun
b. : the part of a fountain pen or of a pencil containing the ink or lead
c. : a cylindrical or tapering housing containing the optical components of a photographic-lens system and the iris diaphragm
d. : the fuel outlet from the carburetor on a gasoline engine
4. : the trunk of a quadruped
• bar·reled -əld adjective
•
- on the barrel
- over a barrel
II. verb
( -reled or -relled ; -rel·ing or -rel·ling )
Date: 15th century
transitive verb
: to put or pack in a barrel
intransitive verb
: to move at a high speed or without hesitation