Definition

1. Noun:
   • A roughly cylindrical open container, typically with a handle: A "pail" is a vessel, usually made of metal or plastic, used for carrying liquids or other materials. It is open at the top and often has a curved handle.
   • The quantity held by such a container: A "pail" can also refer to the amount of something that fills this container.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Container):
  • She carried a pail of water from the well.
  • The child used a small plastic pail and shovel at the beach.
• Noun (Quantity):
  • The recipe calls for a pail of apples.
  • He drank almost a full pail of lemonade.

Advanced Usage

• "to kick the pail": This is a humorous or informal pun on the idiom "to kick the bucket," meaning to die. It is not standard but plays on the similarity of the words "pail" and "bucket."
  • In the cartoon, the character didn't just retire; he kicked the pail.

Variants and Related Words

• Bucket: This is a very close synonym for "pail." The terms are often used interchangeably, though "bucket" may be more common in everyday speech.
  • A bucket of paint.
• Pailful (n): The amount that fills a pail.
  • He poured a pailful of sand into the hole.

Synonyms

• Bucket: A cylindrical container with a handle.
• Tub: A wide, open container, often larger than a pail.
• Can: A container for holding liquids, but typically with a more specific shape and often sealed.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Pail" is not commonly used to form standard phrasal verbs. The related verb forms typically use its synonym, "bucket.")

Related Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms that use the exact word "pail." The standard idiom uses its synonym: "to kick the bucket.")

Noun

1. the quantity contained in a pail
2. a roughly cylindrical vessel that is open at the top