barrel

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A large round container with flat ends, used for storing liquids like beer or oil.

   The wine is stored in oak barrels for two years.

2. 2
   noun

   A unit for measuring amounts of oil or other liquids.

   Oil prices rose to seventy dollars a barrel.

3. 3
   noun

   The long metal tube of a gun that the bullet travels through.

   He aimed the barrel of the rifle at the target.

4. 4
   verb

   To put something into barrels.

   We should barrel the beer before the end of the week.

Etymology tree Old French barilbor. Middle English barel English barrel From Middle English barel, from Anglo-Norman baril, Old French baril, bareil (“barrel”), of uncertain origin. An attempt to link baril to Old French barre (“bar, bolt”) (compare Medieval Latin barra (“bar, rod”)) via assumed Vulgar Latin *barrīculum meets the phonological requirement, but fails to connect the word semantically. The alternative connection to Frankish *baril, *beril or Gothic *𐌱𐌴𐍂𐌹𐌻𐍃 (*bērils, “container for transport”), from Proto-Germanic *barilaz, *bērilaz (“barrel, jug, container”), from Proto-Indo-Europ…

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