bucket

Word family

Related topics: Daily life, Technology, Construction

buck·et1 /ˈbʌkɪt/ S2 noun [countableC]

CONTAINERDTan open container with a handle, used for carrying and holding things, especially liquids 桶 SYN pail

2 (also bucketful)AMOUNT the quantity of liquid that a bucket can hold 一桶之量

bucket of

a bucket of water

一桶水

3. PART OF MACHINETBCa part of a machine shaped like a large bucket and used for moving earth, water etc 铲斗；勺斗；戽斗

4 informalLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a large amount of something 大量

They were drinking beer by the bucket.

他们狂饮啤酒。

bucket of

They made buckets of cash on the deal.

这笔生意他们赚大发了。

5. weep buckets informalLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT to cry a lot 泪如雨下

Examples from the Corpus

weep buckets• I wept buckets, but it wasn't until later that I realized what had happened.• When a girl was caught stealing sugar from the kitchen she wept buckets at the telling off she received.

6. in buckets informalLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT if rain comes down in buckets, it is raining very hard 〔雨〕倾盆而下

Examples from the Corpus

in buckets• That night it came down in buckets.• The situation is modified when records are stored in buckets holding several records, but synonyms still occur.• Like rows of tulips in buckets waiting to be bought.

→ kick the bucket at kick1(20), → a drop in the bucket at drop2(8)

Examples from the Corpus

bucket• On one wall you see a projected image of a man bathing himself from an enameled bucket.• It pays to have friendly neighbours or a large bucket at this stage.• The steamy yellow gruel in the bucket splashed out on to the kitchen floor.• The bucket has teeth the size of a man, and room to park three stretch limos.• Most will walk home later, ashamed that their buckets are empty.

bucket of• I needed four buckets of water to wash the car.

bucket2 verb

1 bucket down phrasal verbphr v British EnglishBrE informal DNto rain very hard 〔雨〕倾盆而下 SYN pour

It’s been bucketing down all day.

倾盆大雨已下了一整天。

Examples from the Corpus

bucket• He bucketed across the fields and mounted the road at five-fifteen.• The metal body jumped and bucketed beneath her on the ruts.• Trent rode in first gear, headlight tunnelling into the forest gloom through which the rain bucketed.• As she was undressing it began to rain again, and soon it was bucketing down.• At times Rubberneck wept, shed, and for no apparent reason, bucketing tears in dreadful fits of sadness.

Origin bucket

(1200-1300) Anglo-French buket, from Old English buc “container for pouring liquid, belly”

buck·et1 nounbucket2 verb

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus