bucket

noun

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)

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 : hustle, hurry

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

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bucket

Keep scrolling for more

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

To strengthen their fingers, climbers often hang and do pull-ups on hangboards, left, and campus boards, right, and do resistance exercises in buckets of rice. — Jen Murphy, WSJ, "Forget Your Washboard Abs, the Hottest Workout Is for Your Fingers," 28 Nov. 2018 Getty ImagesTheo Wargo For a lot of couples, having that first baby is like launching a bucket of water all over the flames of passion. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott Went to 'Astroworld's Listening Party and Were So Loved-Up," 3 Aug. 2018 Yet will Musk really be bringing buckets of cash to Flint soon? — Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, "Will Tesla CEO Elon Musk fix Flint water?," 11 July 2018 The sign: Beer Buckets A bucket of 4 will save you $2 and three more trips to the concession! — David G. Molyneaux, miamiherald, "Carnival, that most American of cruise lines, won't return to Europe any time soon," 5 July 2018 Two effective options, according to Cloyd and Patton, are to spray plants with chemicals to kill the bugs or to knock the bugs off of plants with your hand into a bucket of soapy water. — Katie Bernard, kansascity, "Don't trap the Japanese beetles wreaking havoc on your garden — that'll make it worse," 3 July 2018 Keep a bucket of water and a garden hose or fire extinguisher nearby in order to fully extinguish a malfunctioning firework, if needed. — Daniel Wilson, sacbee, "Your guide to celebrating a midweek Fourth of July," 2 July 2018 Keep a bucket of water or the hose handy when lighting fireworks. — Heloise, Houston Chronicle, "Don’t have a blast on the Fourth," 1 July 2018 His recent summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un won him buckets of TV coverage highlighting his stature on the world stage. — Author: Ken Thomas, Catherine Lucey, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump enjoying a hot streak, a break from immigration news," 30 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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, "Texans’ do-it-ourselves rescue effort defines Hurricane Harvey," 3 Sep. 2017 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. — Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post, "Texans’ do-it-ourselves rescue effort defines Hurricane Harvey," 2 Sep. 2017

These 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.