buck·et
(bŭḱĭt)
[Middle English, from Old French buket, of Germanic origin.]
noun
- A cylindrical vessel used for holding or carrying liquids or solids; a pail.
- The amount that a bucket can hold: One bucket of paint will be enough for the ceiling.
- A unit of dry measure in the U.S. Customary System equal to 2 pecks (17.6 liters).
- A receptacle on various machines, such as the scoop of a power shovel or the compartments on a water wheel, used to gather and convey material.
- Basketball A basket.
verb: -et·ed, -et·ing, -ets.
transitive verb
- To hold, carry, or put in a bucket: bucket up water from a well.
- To ride (a horse) long and hard.
intransitive verb
- To move or proceed rapidly and jerkily: bucketing over the unpaved lane.
- To make haste; hustle.
idioms
- a drop in the bucket
- An insufficient or inconsequential amount in comparison with what is required.
