Definition

Noun: - The quantity that a barrel (of any size) will hold: A barrelful is a unit of measure representing the total amount of substance—such as liquid, grain, or other materials—that fills a single barrel to its capacity.

Usage

• This word is used to specify a volume or quantity measured by the container (a barrel) itself. It is often applied to commodities like oil, beer, apples, or flour.
• It functions as a countable noun (e.g., a barrelful, several barrelfuls).

Examples

• The brewery produced over fifty barrelfuls of ale for the festival.
• They needed a barrelful of rainwater to irrigate the small garden.
• The old recipe called for a barrelful of salted fish.

Advanced Usage

• "A barrelful of [something]": This phrase is commonly used figuratively to indicate a very large amount of something abstract.
  • After the scandal, the politician faced a barrelful of criticism.
• The plural form is typically barrelfuls, though barrelsful is also occasionally seen.

Variants and Related Words

• Barrel (n): The container itself; a cylindrical vessel, usually with curved sides and flat ends.
• Barrel (v): To move or travel at high speed, often in an uncontrolled way (e.g., ). This is a distinct meaning from the quantity measure.

Synonyms

• Barrel (when used to mean the quantity contained)
• Caskful
• Kegful (specifically for a small barrel)

Notes

• "Barrelful" is a compound noun formed from "barrel" + the suffix "-ful," which indicates "as much as a container will hold." Other examples include "spoonful," "handful," and "cupful."
• The exact volume of a "barrelful" is not standardized and can vary historically and by context (e.g., an oil barrel, a beer barrel). The word specifies the container's capacity, not a fixed measurement.

Noun

1. the quantity that a barrel (of any size) will hold