bushel

noun bush·el \ ˈbu̇-shəl \

Definition of bushel

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

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See bushel defined for kids

Examples of bushel in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of bushel from the Web

In Illinois, wheat fell from more than $7.13 a bushel in 2012 to $4.30 this year, while for the same period land costs rose 10 percent.

— david pitt, The Seattle Times, "Farmers planting less wheat — more chickpeas and lentils," 28 Aug. 2017
That sounds like a bushel of cornball and might have devolved into pure ick if the director, Dave McCary, didn't lead from the heart and wasn't adept at navigating seemingly clashing tones.

— the new york times, NOLA.com, "'Brigsby Bear' movie review: A weird but wonderful bit of offbeat joy," 18 Aug. 2017
Next week, the Michigan Apple Committee expects to announce the official bushel expectations for the 2017 season when the committee convenes at the U.S. Apple Outlook meeting in Chicago.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Early start, fewer apples predicted for Michigan's harvest," 15 Aug. 2017
Rose said the soybeans, which come with a price of about $9 per bushel, are also used for animal feed.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Harford farmers expect good corn yields, but prices could be better," 15 Aug. 2017
Historical records credited the king, Junius Groves, with growing more bushels of potatoes per acre than anyone else in the world.

— ellen cagle, kansascity, "Move over, Idaho — the ‘Potato King of the World’ called Kansas his home," 4 Aug. 2017
Soybeans for November delivery on the Chicago Board of Trade dropped as much as 1.2 percent to $9.655 a bushel.

— Bloomberg.com, "China Tries to Calm U.S. Trade Spat While Readying Riposte," 3 Aug. 2017
Now at the midway point in the peach harvest season, half-bushels are selling for around $26, while gallon baskets are selling for around $4.

— jacqueline l. urgo, Philly.com, "In New Jersey's peach country, a season of sweetness," 23 July 2017
Huge bushels of spears — some simple, some curved or decorated to fit their holder — are held together by duct tape.

— daniel d’addario, Time, "Game of Thrones’ Weapons Master on Season 7: 'We Have a Lot More Armies’," 7 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bushel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bushel

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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bushel Synonyms

bushel

verb

Definition of bushel

busheled; busheling play \-sh(ə-)liŋ\

:repair, renovate

—

busheler

play \-sh(ə-)lər\ noun

Origin and Etymology of bushel

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1877

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BUSHEL Defined for English Language Learners

bushel

noun

Definition of bushel for English Language Learners

: a unit for measuring an amount of fruit and grain that is equal to about 35.2 liters in the U.S. and to about 36.4 liters in the U.K.
bushels : a large amount of something