bucket

1 of 2

noun

buck·​et ˈbə-kət How to pronounce bucket (audio)
1
: a typically cylindrical vessel for catching, holding, or carrying liquids or solids
2
: something resembling a bucket: such as
a
: the scoop of an excavating machine
b
: one of the receptacles on the rim of a waterwheel
c
: one of the cups of an endless-belt conveyor
d
: one of the vanes of a turbine rotor
3
4
5

bucket

2 of 2

verb

bucketed; bucketing; buckets

transitive verb

1
: to draw or lift in buckets
2
British
a
: to ride (a horse) hard
b
: to drive hurriedly or roughly
3
: to deal with in a bucket shop

intransitive verb

1
2
a
: to move about haphazardly or irresponsibly
b
: to move roughly or jerkily
3
chiefly British, informal : to rain very heavily : pour
It doesn't just rain here. It pours; it lashes; it buckets.Kathleen A. Quinn
usually used with down
Rain bucketed down for the next two days …Thurston Clarke

Examples of bucket in a Sentence

Noun We used two buckets of paint to paint the living room. made buckets of money in the stock market Verb bucketing water from the well, we raced to put out the fire getting the troops into the bucketing landing craft proved to be challenging
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As Gorman places beer bottles in metal ice buckets — Conway’s Irish Ale, appropriately — the sound of the school band practicing floats down the hallway. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 The Step2 Water Table comes with 13 accessories, ranging from floating toys to spinners, ramps, and buckets, so kids can work on pouring or creating their own waterfalls. Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024 Paint buckets were left sprawled throughout the cemetery near vaults and headstones. Gerard Albert, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 Beach bucket bags Everyday bucket bags Bucket bags for nights out Splurge bucket bags Affordable bucket bags For the beach These beachy-chic bucket bags are the perfect accessory for your next trip to the shore. Lauren Dana Ellman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Feb. 2024 Those figures represent a record year for ASCAP in both revenue buckets, as well as all-time highs for any U.S. performance rights organization ever, ASCAP claimed. Ed Christman, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024 In the teaser for the remake (above), another family of rebellious youth take on an elderly caretaker who, spoiler alert, kicks the bucket. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2024 Come for the fiery sunsets; stay for the beach bites and Pier Punch served in a souvenir bucket perfect for shell collecting and sandcastle building. Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2024 Hayes was also a contributor and continuously made timely, tough buckets en route to 13 points. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
External Secrets Secrets are typically bucketed into two categories: external and internal. Alon Jackson, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 So he's got to figure out how to bucket Trump, bracket Trump, and pull people off of Trump. Nbc Universal, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2023 When Holly’s seemingly psychic abilities save her from a fatal disaster at school, her status in the community shifts from outcast to otherworldly icon — as if Carrie White had actually been crowned prom queen, and not bucketed with blood. Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023 Top handles are too formal, totes too casual, and buckets too trendy. Charlotte Davey, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2023 The Fever seemingly had control of the game throughout the first 10 minutes of the game, scoring at will and bucketing 26 points. Indystar Sports, The Indianapolis Star, 19 July 2023 Products are bucketed into 107 categories — from clothing to footwear to household linens — and further segmented by weight. Olivia Rockeman, Fortune, 30 May 2023 But that gorgeous swamp was bucketed out around the time of Sleep Well Beast. James Robins, Vulture, 1 May 2023 The only reason the Nittany Lions are still on the bubble is that Cam Wynter nailed two late-game miracle buckets to win back-to-back games. Tanner McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bucket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French buket, from Old English būc pitcher, belly; akin to Old High German būh belly

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1640, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bucket was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near bucket

Cite this Entry

“Bucket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bucket. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bucket

noun
buck·​et
ˈbək-ət
1
: a usually round container for catching, holding, or carrying liquids or solids : pail
2
: an object for collecting, scooping, or carrying something
3

More from Merriam-Webster on bucket

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!