barrel
noun /ˈbærəl/
/ˈbærəl/
Idioms - a large round container, usually made of wood or metal, with flat ends and, usually, curved sides
- a beer/wine barrel
- They filled the barrels with cider.
- The art of barrel-making is an ancient skill.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- beer
- whisky/whiskey
- wine
- …
- fill
- contain something
- a barrel
- per barrel
- by the barrel
- …
- the contents of or the amount contained in a barrel; a unit of measurement in the oil industry equal to between 120 and 159 litres
- They got through two barrels of beer.
- Oil prices fell to $9 a barrel.
- Crude oil prices hit record highs of more than $70 a barrel.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- beer
- whisky/whiskey
- wine
- …
- fill
- contain something
- a barrel
- per barrel
- by the barrel
- …
- the part of a gun like a tube through which the bullets are fired
- Tom found himself looking down the barrel of a gun.
- The barrel was aimed directly at me.
- He fired one barrel and then fired again.
Extra Examples- I felt the gun barrel at my head.
- Pulling his rifle to his shoulder he squinted along the barrel.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- gun
- rifle
- shotgun
- …
- look down
- peer down
- point
- the barrel of a gun
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French baril, from medieval Latin barriclus ‘small cask’.
Idioms
a barrel of laughs
- (informal, often ironic) a lot of fun
- Life hasn't exactly been a barrel of laughs lately.
be like shooting fish in a barrel
- (informal) used to emphasize how easy it is to do something
- What do you mean you can't do it? It'll be like shooting fish in a barrel!
lock, stock and barrel
- including everything
- He sold the business lock, stock and barrel.
(get/have somebody) over a barrel
- (informal) (to put/have somebody) in a situation in which they must accept or do what you want
- They've got us over a barrel. Either we agree to their terms or we lose the money.
scrape (the bottom of) the barrel
- (disapproving) to have to use things or people that are not the best or most suitable because the ones that were the best or most suitable are no longer available