barrel

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 a large round container, usually made of wood or metal, with flat ends and, usually, curved sides: a beer / wine barrel 2 the contents of or the amount contained in a barrel; a unit of measurement in the oil industry equal to between 120 and 159 litres: They got through two barrels of beer. * Oil prices fell to $9 a barrel. 3 the part of a gun like a tube through which the bullets are fired: Tom found himself looking down the barrel of a gun. * The barrel was aimed directly at me. * He fired one barrel and then fired again. IDIOMS a barrel of laughs (often ironic) very amusing; a lot of fun: Life hasn't exactly been a barrel of laughs lately. (get / have sb) over a barrel (informal) (to put/have sb) in a situation in which they must accept or do what you want: They've got us over a barrel. Either we agree to their terms or we lose the money. moreatLOCKn., SCRAPEv. verb (-l-) [V+adv./prep.] (AmE, informal) to move very fast in a particular direction, especially in a way that you cannot control: He came barreling down the hill and smashed into a phone booth.