barrel
B1Neutral to technical
Definition
Meaning
A large cylindrical container, usually made of wood or metal, with bulging sides and flat, circular ends, used for storing liquids like oil or wine.
A unit of volume, especially for oil; a cylindrical part of a machine (like the barrel of a gun or a key); to move or travel at high speed, often in an uncontrolled or reckless manner (verb).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Core meaning refers to a physical container. Secondary meanings are heavily used in energy/oil (unit of measure), firearm, and automotive/mechanical contexts. As a verb, it's informal and implies forceful, rapid motion.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning. The phrase "over a barrel" (in a helpless or disadvantageous position) is common in both.
Connotations
Similar connotations of storage, volume, and recklessness (verb).
Frequency
Noun is equally frequent. The verb "to barrel" (to move quickly/forcefully) is slightly more common in American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to barrel along/through/down/into somethingto barrel (something) through a legislatureto be locked in a barrelto contain/hold X barrels of YVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “over a barrel”
- “scraping the barrel”
- “a barrel of laughs”
- “lock, stock, and barrel”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"Crude oil prices fell to $85 per barrel." (Unit of trade)
Academic
"The study measured fermentation rates in oak barrels." (Scientific container)
Everyday
"They bought a barrel of apples for cider making." (Large container)
Technical
"The rifle's barrel needs cleaning after 1000 rounds." (Part of a firearm)
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The lorry barrelled down the motorway ignoring the speed limit.
- He barrelled into the room, startling everyone.
American English
- The truck barreled down the interstate in the passing lane.
- She barreled through the paperwork in under an hour.
adverb
British English
- He drove barrel-arse down the country lane. (Very informal/vulgar)
American English
- The car went barrel-ass down the dirt road. (Very informal/vulgar)
adjective
British English
- He had a typical barrel chest from years of rowing.
- The pub featured a beautiful barrel-vaulted ceiling.
American English
- The barrel-chested firefighter easily moved the debris.
- The church's architecture includes a barrel vault.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We saw an old wooden barrel in the garden.
- The oil is stored in a large barrel.
- The price of a barrel of oil is in the news today.
- He rolled the empty barrel to the shed.
- The bill was barreled through parliament with little debate.
- After the scandal, the company was really over a barrel.
- The craft distillery ages its single malt in specially charred American oak barrels.
- The fighter pilot executed a perfect barrel roll to evade the missile.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BEAR rolling a large BARREL down a hill. The word sounds like 'bear-roll'.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER FOR RESOURCES (time, money, fun), PATH/SOURCE OF FORCE (verb).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'бочка' (бочкообразный - barrel-chested) и 'ствол' (gun barrel). 'Barrel' как единица измерения (нефти) = баррель. 'To barrel' не имеет прямого эквивалента, чаще 'нестись/лететь сломя голову'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect preposition: *'in the barrel of oil' instead of 'a barrel of oil'. Confusing 'barrel' (container) with 'drum' (often for dry goods or as a musical instrument).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'barrel' used as a standard unit of measurement?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, but it can hold solids like apples, nails, or gunpowder. The image is of a sturdy, large cylindrical container.
All are cylindrical containers. A 'keg' is usually smaller and often metal, for beer. A 'cask' is often wooden, for wine or spirits, and may be barrel-shaped. 'Barrel' is the most general term and a specific size measurement.
A standard oil barrel is 42 US gallons, or about 159 litres. This is a fixed unit of volume in the industry.
Yes, in idioms like 'a barrel of laughs' (very amusing), though often used sarcastically. Also positively in contexts of abundance ('a barrel of money') or craftsmanship (aging whisky in barrels).