I. ˈpāl, esp before pause or consonant -āəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English payle, paille (infl. by Middle French paelle metal pot), probably from Old English pægel small measure, wine vessel, from Medieval Latin pagella a measure, from Latin, small page, diminutive of pagina page — more at paella , page
1.
a. : a typically cylindrical or nearly cylindrical vessel (as of metal or plastic) for catching, holding, or carrying liquids or solids and usually having a bail handle or other handle and sometimes having a removable cover : bucket — often used in combination with a term suggesting the function
milk pail
lunch pail
ice pail
b. : a usually tapered or cylindrical shipping container (as of steel or fiber) used especially for ice cream and other moist foods and having an average capacity of from one to twelve gallons
2. : the quantity that a pail contains : pailful
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
North : milk 1
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: origin unknown
dialect England : beat , thrash