Mastering English With Ease

  BARREL AND ITS VARIOUS MEANINGS (PART 2)  OTHER  MEANINGS AND USAGE OF ‘BARREL’ Barrel Bag (noun)           A sports bag which is cylindrical in shape.   It is also called gym bag or duffel bag.   Please see picture below: Picture Credit:   konga.com/product   Barrel Bomb (noun)           A barrel or container loaded with explosives and dropped from airplane/ helicopter as an improvised bomb, without any guiding system.   Barrel bomb is also called dumb bomb. Barrel Race (noun)           A kind of horse race in which horses are raced or ridden around standing barrels, to determine adroitness and championship.   Please see picture below: Picture Credit:  Pixabay   Barrel Bulk (noun)           A measure that is equal to five cubit feet or approximately 142 litres.   Barrel bulk is used to estimate capacity (volume, size, etc.) in relation to vessels or freight.   Barrel Cactus (noun)           Any cactus plant with barrel-like shape.     Some of the barrel

  BARREL AND ITS VARIOUS MEANINGS (PART 1)              Curiously, one of our blog readers asked me recently:  “Uncle Sam, How big is a barrel?”   DESCRIPTION OF BARREL AS A CONTAINER           A barrel (noun) is a big container, made of wood, metal or plastic, with a flat top and bottom and curved sides that make it fatter in the middle, with metal hoops or bands round it.   Please see the picture of a typical barrel (as a container) below: Source:   Wili Wiki/Fandom              It is necessary to explain here that barrels that are used for wine or fermented/distilled beverages hold or contain 31 gallons or 117.34 litres.   But those used for petroleum, hold or contain 42 gallons or 159 litres.   (This appears to be the explanation that the inquirer referred to at the onset, is looking for).           Let us take note, however, that in the oil industry, crude oil is not poured into barrel containers first, before being transferred into storage tanks or exportation vesse