barrel
UK[ˈbærəl]US[ˈbærəl]
n
A large, round container for liquids, with a flat top and bottom and slightly curved sides, usually made of wood or metal.
n
A unit of measurement for oil, equal to 42 US gallons or about 159 litres.
n
The tube-shaped part of a gun that the bullet is fired through.
v
To move very fast, especially in a way that seems uncontrolled.
Etymology
The word 'barrel' entered English in the 14th century from the Old French 'baril', meaning a cask or vessel. Its ultimate origin is obscure but is often speculated to be from Vulgar Latin barra, meaning 'bar' or 'rod', perhaps referring to the wooden staves bound by hoops that form the container. Another theory suggests a Gaulish origin. The semantic journey is direct, maintaining its core meaning as a cylindrical container. The extended meanings for measurement and the part of a gun derive from the shape and function of the original object, while the verb sense evokes the idea of something moving as if rolling like a barrel.
Analysis
The word 'barrel' is a simplex word. It is a loanword from Old French 'baril', whose ultimate origin is uncertain but may be from a Late Latin or Gaulish source related to containers.
Examples
They aged the wine in an oak barrel for several years.
The price of crude oil fell by three dollars a barrel.
The car barrel down the hill with no brakes.