barrel
A big round container, often made of wood, used to keep liquids like wine, beer, or oil.
A large round-sided container, usually wider in the middle than at the ends, traditionally made of wooden staves and metal hoops, used for storing liquids or food such as wine, beer, or oil.
The long metal part of a gun that the bullet comes out of.
The long, usually metal tube of a gun or other firearm through which the bullet or shot travels when the weapon is fired.
A unit used to measure large amounts of liquid, especially oil; for oil it is 42 US gallons (about 159 liters).
A standard unit of volume, varying by product and region but commonly equal to 42 US gallons (about 159 liters) for crude oil, used to measure and trade large quantities of liquids.
To go very fast, usually in a loud or not careful way.
To move or travel very quickly and often in a way that seems noisy, careless, or out of control.
A very large amount of something, often said in a funny or strong way.
A very large quantity of something, often used in an exaggerated or humorous way, especially in fixed expressions.
The round main part of an object, for example the part of a pen you hold or the outside part of a camera lens.
The main cylindrical body or housing of an object, such as the part of a pen you hold, the outer cylinder of a camera lens, or a similar rounded section of an instrument or tool.
To put a drink or food into barrels to keep it or move it.
To place a liquid or food product into barrels, especially for storage, aging, or transport.
- Base: barrel
- Plural: barrels
- Base: barrel
- 3rd Person Singular: barrels
- Present Participle: barreling, barrelling
- Past: barreled, barrelled
a barrel of laughs
1very funny and entertaining
Used to say that someone or something is very funny and makes people laugh a lot, often with a bit of irony.
- The movie isn’t exactly a barrel of laughs, but it has some good moments.
- He’s not a barrel of laughs to work with, but he gets the job done.
- Family dinners at their house are always a barrel of laughs.
barrel ahead
1continue quickly and forcefully
To keep going very fast and strongly, often without stopping to think.
- Despite the warnings, they barreled ahead with the project.
- The government seems ready to barrel ahead with the new law.
- He barreled ahead with his plan, ignoring everyone’s concerns.
barrel along
1move forward very quickly
To move forward very fast along a road, track, or path.
- The train barreled along the coast toward the city.
- Trucks were barreling along the highway despite the fog.
- He barreled along the corridor, late for his meeting.
barrel down
1move quickly down or along
To go very fast down or along something, usually in a way that looks not very careful.
- A car was barreling down the highway at dangerous speed.
- Rock and mud came barreling down the mountain after the heavy rain.
- She barreled down the stairs when she heard the alarm.
barrel into
1rush into or crash into
To go into a place or hit something by moving too fast and not carefully.
- He barreled into the room without knocking.
- A cyclist barreled into a group of tourists on the sidewalk.
- The car skidded on the ice and barreled into a fence.
barrel through
1push or move through quickly
To go through a place or crowd very fast without stopping or being careful.
- They barreled through the crowd to reach the stage.
- The bus barreled through the intersection just as the light turned red.
- She barreled through her presentation in under ten minutes.
lock, stock and barrel
1including everything completely
Including every part; the whole thing without leaving anything out.
- They sold the business lock, stock and barrel.
- The company was taken over lock, stock and barrel by a foreign investor.
- He moved to Canada, lock, stock and barrel, and never came back.
over a barrel
1in a position of no power
In a situation where someone else has power over you and you have almost no choice.
- With no savings and no job, she was really over a barrel.
- The repair shop has us over a barrel; we need the car fixed today.
- Don’t let them get you over a barrel with those contract terms.
stare down the barrel of
1face serious danger directly
To be directly facing a very serious danger or bad situation.
- The company is staring down the barrel of bankruptcy.
- For a moment he felt like he was staring down the barrel of a gun.
- We’re staring down the barrel of a major crisis if nothing changes.
have someone over a barrel
1Have complete control over someone
To put someone in a situation where they have no choice but to do what you want.
- The company had him over a barrel after he signed the contract.
- She felt they had her over a barrel with their demands.
have someone over a barrel
2have someone in weak position
To control someone because they are in a weak position and must do what you want.
- The landlord has us over a barrel because there are no other apartments available.
- With the deadline so close, the supplier knew they had us over a barrel.
- He felt the bank had him over a barrel with the new loan terms.
more fun than a barrel of monkeys
1extremely fun or entertaining
Very enjoyable and funny; a lot of fun.
- The party was more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
- The kids think the new game is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
- This game is more fun than a barrel of monkeys when everyone joins in.
- Camping with them is always more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
- He promised the event would be more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
scrape the bottom of the barrel
1use last and worst options
To use the worst or last choices because there are no good choices left.
- We're really scraping the bottom of the barrel with these candidates.
- By the final season, the show was scraping the bottom of the barrel for story ideas.
- They scraped the bottom of the barrel to find enough players for the game.
scrape the bottom of the barrel
2Use worst remaining options available
To use whatever is left, even if it is bad, because nothing better is available.
- We had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find players for the team.
- By now, they are scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas.
scrape the bottom of the barrel
3use the worst remaining options
To use the last and worst choices because all the good ones are gone.
- We’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel with these candidates.
- By the end of the season, the team was scraping the bottom of the barrel for players.
- If this is the best design, they must be scraping the bottom of the barrel.