bushel

1 of 2

noun

bush·​el ˈbu̇-shəl 

1

: any of various units of dry capacity see Weights and Measures Table

2

: a container holding a bushel

3

: a large quantity

bushels of money

bushel

2 of 2

verb

busheled; busheling ˈbu̇-sh(ə-)liŋ 

: repair, renovate

busheler

ˈbu̇-sh(ə-)lər 

noun

Synonyms of bushel

Noun

• ton
• dozen
• loads
• plenty
• slew
• quantity
• bunch
• pile
• chunk

Examples of bushel in a Sentence

Noun

picked up a bushel of decorations at the after-Christmas sale

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The key fertilizer urea is up 25% to 30%, with nitrogen and potassium fertilizer costs similarly elevated, just as farmers are receiving their lowest cost per bushel in 17 crop years. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026

The former soccer star took to her Instagram Stories to share even more pictures, including her family of five posing by a bushel of flowers. —Christina Perrier, InStyle, 6 Apr. 2026

At the time of the explosion, the elevator was reportedly half full of 40,000 to 50,000 bushels of millet, wheat and milo — offering a glimpse of the scale of operations there. —Marissa Luck, Houston Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026

Harvests can exceed hundreds of thousands of bushels, generating millions in revenue, according to surveys and reports. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English busshel, from Anglo-French bussel, buschelle, from Old French boisse measure of grain, of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Irish boss breadth of the hand

Verb

probably from German bosseln to do poor work, to patch; akin to Old English bēatan to beat

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1877, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bushel

• hide one's light under a bushel

Kids Definition

bushel

noun

bush·​el

ˈbu̇sh-əl

1

: any of various units of dry capacity see measure

2

: a container holding a bushel

3

: a large quantity