I. ˈbu̇shəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English busshel, boyschel, from Old French boissel, from (assumed) Old French boisse one sixth of a bushel (whence Middle French boisse ), of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Irish boss, bass palm of the hand
1. : any of various units of capacity: as
a. : a unit of dry capacity used in the United States equal to 2150.42 cubic inches : winchester bushel
b. : a British unit of dry and liquid capacity equal to 8 imperial gallons or 2219.36 cubic inches — see measure table
2.
a. : a container used as a bushel measure
nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel , but on a stand — Mt 5:15 (Revised Standard Version)
b. : something that conceals by or as if by covering
razzle-dazzle journalism continued to be a Times specialty, albeit one well hidden under the bushel of its solemn thoroughness — Newsweek
3. : a large quantity : lots , loads
bushels of fun
didn't do anything wrong, except tell a bushel of cockeyed lies — Calder Willingham
bushels of love letters — G.B.Shaw
pamphlets mailed out by the bushel
II. transitive verb
( busheled also bushelled ; busheled also bushelled ; busheling also bushelling -sh(ə)liŋ ; bushels )
1. : to hide under or as if under a bushel
don't bushel your light in the city
busheled information
2.
[so called from the fact that scrap iron was formerly sold by the bushel]
: to heat (scrap iron) to a welding temperature especially in a reverberatory furnace
III. verb
( busheled also bushelled ; busheled also bushelled ; busheling also bushelling -sh(ə)liŋ ; bushels )
Etymology: probably from German bosseln to do poor work, to do odd jobs, to patch, from Middle High German bōzeln to beat, freq. of bōzen, from Old High German bōzan — more at beat
transitive verb
: alter , finish , repair
bushels men's suits
intransitive verb
: to alter, finish, or repair garments and especially men's suits