barrel
12 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
barrels
plural
barrels
Britannica Dictionary definition of BARREL
[count]
1
a
:
a round usually wooden container with curved sides and flat ends
-
Oak barrels are used for aging the wine.
-
an empty barrel
b
:
the amount of something in a barrel
—
see also pork barrel
-
The price of oil is over 30 dollars a barrel.
-
They drank a whole barrel of beer.
a barrel of laughs
informal
:
someone or something that is very funny
— often used in negative statements or in an ironic way to describe someone or something that is not really funny
-
Several people have lost their jobs recently, so the office isn't exactly a barrel of laughs these days.
-
“Your boss is quite a kidder.” “Oh yeah, he's a real barrel of laughs.”
more fun than a barrel (full) of monkeys
US, informal + somewhat old-fashioned
:
very funny and enjoyable
-
The ads say the movie will be more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
over a barrel
:
in a bad situation
:
in a situation where you are forced to do something you do not want to do
-
My landlord really has me over a barrel. I have to either pay double my rent or move somewhere else.
the bottom of the barrel
— used in combination
—
see also double-barreled
-
a short-barreled shotgun [=a shotgun having a short barrel]
2
barrel
/ˈberəl/
verb
barrels;
barreled
also
barrelled;
barreling
also
barrelling
2
barrel
/ˈberəl/
verb
barrels;
barreled
also
barrelled;
barreling
also
barrelling
Britannica Dictionary definition of BARREL
always followed by an adverb or preposition
[no object]
US, informal
:
to move very fast and often in an uncontrolled or dangerous way
-
The truck went barreling down Main Street.
-
She came running out of her office and went barreling past us down the hall.
