buck·et
| \ ˈbə-kət
\
\
Definition of bucket
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
: bucketful
4
: bucket seat
5
: basket sense 3b
bucket
verb
bucketed; bucketing; buckets
Definition of bucket (Entry 2 of 2)
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
2a
: 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
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Synonyms & Antonyms for bucket
Synonyms: Noun
- abundance,
- barrel,
- basketful,
- boatload,
- bunch,
- bundle,
- bushel,
- carload,
- chunk,
- deal,
- dozen,
- fistful,
- gobs,
- good deal,
- heap,
- hundred,
- lashings
- (also lashins)
- [chiefly British],
- loads,
- lot,
- mass,
- mess,
- mountain,
- much,
- multiplicity,
- myriad,
- oodles,
- pack,
- passel,
- peck,
- pile,
- plateful,
- plenitude,
- plentitude,
- plenty,
- pot,
- potful,
- profusion,
- quantity,
- raft,
- reams,
- scads,
- sheaf,
- shipload,
- sight,
- slew,
- spate,
- stack,
- store,
- ton,
- truckload,
- volume,
- wad,
- wealth,
- yard
Synonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Noun
- ace,
- bit,
- dab,
- dram,
- driblet,
- glimmer,
- handful,
- hint,
- lick,
- little,
- mite,
- mouthful,
- nip,
- ounce,
- peanuts,
- pinch,
- pittance,
- scruple,
- shade,
- shadow,
- smidgen
- (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge),
- speck,
- spot,
- sprinkle,
- sprinkling,
- strain,
- streak,
- suspicion,
- tad,
- taste,
- touch,
- trace
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
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Then, scrub like crazy in a bucket of dish soap and water.
—
Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 6 June 2021
Of course, that money is a drop in the bucket for Rodgers, and means little if Rodgers wants to send a message to Packers management.
—
BostonGlobe.com, 5 June 2021
For a mission that is expected to last many years that might seem like a drop in the bucket, but the sheer amount of work that Perseverance has done in just 100 days is pretty darn impressive.
—
Mike Wehner, BGR, 2 June 2021
The saleswoman put her hand in the bucket, swirled around and emerged with the number 32.
—
New York Times, 29 May 2021
Springtime also marks the culmination of the school year — nine months, a drop in the bucket to an adult but what feels like a lifetime of growth and learning to a five year old in school for the first time.
—
Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2021
That may seem like a drop in the bucket, but with just around 25,000 animals left in the wild in Tasmania a disease-free population in Australia could, unfortunately, become more significant over time.
—
Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 May 2021
The carbon-fiber racing bucket seats only move fore and aft, but there's plenty of Alcantara trim and carbon-fiber bits to take in.
—
Juergen Zoellter, Car and Driver, 26 May 2021
The four-way Sport Seats Plus w/ Race-Tex inserts are standard, and optionally, 18-way sport or full bucket seats are available.
—
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2021
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
From trendy sweatsuits to bucket hats to watches, the streetwear spectrum is deep—and everybody wants a piece.
—
Nandi Howard, Essence, 4 May 2021
Another way to bucket your goals is to categorize them into the sum of the parts or the parts of the sum.
—
Gregory Salsburg, Forbes, 28 Apr. 2021
East Boston 34, Boston English 23 — Junior guard Madison Theriault bucketed 18 points for the Jets (4-9).
—
Mike Puzzanghera, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Jan. 2020
To travelers, Arizona is known for some of the Southwest's most iconic vacation destinations—from sprawling golf and tennis facilities to innovative wellness retreats to bucket-list natural attractions.
—
Chadner Navarro, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2020
Senior Zakiirah King put up a team-leading nine points while senior Victoria Davis put up eight and junior Samara Curry bucketed seven.
—
Edith Noriega, azcentral, 4 Dec. 2019
Meanwhile, the fashion crowd has been photographed wearing teddy jackets in every color, print, length, and shape; some even raised the stakes with teddy accessories, from bucket bags to bucket hats.
—
Georgina Kim, Glamour, 11 Nov. 2019
The age of Mobile Money 2.0 What used to be defined as mobile banking, mobile money, USSD based banking et al, will soon be bucketed into one general descriptor in the age of Mobile Money 2.0.
—
Wiza Jalakasi, Quartz Africa, 4 Oct. 2019
But in a storm of Harvey's sheer monstrousness – hundreds of miles across, lingering for days with bucketing rain that swallowed roads and initially kept rescue aircraft grounded – no government response could ever have been enough.
—
Author: Kevin Sullivan, Peter Holley, Alaska Dispatch News, 3 Sep. 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bucket.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Learn More about bucket
Dictionary Entries near bucket
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Last Updated
10 Jun 2021
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Bucket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bucket. Accessed 14 Jun. 2021.
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More Definitions for bucket
bucket
noun
English Language Learners Definition of bucket
: an open container with a handle that is used especially to hold and carry water and other liquids
: the amount contained in a bucket
: a large container that is part of a machine (such as a tractor) and that is used for digging or carrying dirt, rocks, and other material
See the full definition for bucket in the English Language Learners Dictionary
bucket
noun
buck·et
| \ ˈbə-kət
\
\
Kids Definition of bucket
1
: a usually round container with a handle for holding or carrying liquids or solids
2
: a large container that is part of a machine and is used for collecting, scooping, or carrying
3
: bucketful
a bucket of water
"You're sweating buckets," Emma said. "Let me have a go at that before you melt away."— Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
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Time Traveler for bucket
The first known use of bucket was in the 13th century
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