jerrican

A worker carries a jerrican to refuel the generator.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A portable container for liquids: A "jerrican" is a robust, typically rectangular container made of metal or plastic, designed for transporting and storing liquids, especially fuel or water. It usually has a capacity of about 5 gallons (20 liters) and features a handle and a screw cap.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The soldiers carried several jerricans of gasoline to the outpost. (A portable container used for fuel.)
  • We filled the jerrican with drinking water before the desert trip. (A container for water storage.)

Advanced Usage

• "to pack a jerrican": to fill or prepare a jerrican for transportation.

  • Before the expedition, they packed a jerrican with emergency rations. (They filled the container and readied it for use.)

• "to strap a jerrican": to secure a jerrican to a vehicle or pack.

  • He strapped the jerrican to the roof of the jeep with ropes. (He fastened the container firmly.)

Variants and Related Words

• Jerrycan (n): an alternative spelling of "jerrican", with the same meaning.
  • The supply truck was loaded with jerrycans for the remote village. (Another spelling of the same type of container.)

Synonyms

• Fuel can: a container specifically for fuel.
• Water can: a container specifically for water.
• Container: a general term for any object that holds something.

Phrasal Verbs

• Jerrican up (informal): to fill a jerrican with liquid.
  • We need to jerrican up before the journey. (Fill the container with fuel or water.)

Related Idioms

• "One jerrican at a time": used to describe a slow, incremental process.
  • The aid was delivered one jerrican at a time to the disaster zone. (Supplies were brought gradually.)