bucket

A container with a handle, usually used to carry water, sand, or other materials.

• Bring me a bucket, please.
• She carried water from the well in a bucket.
• The children left their buckets on the beach.

Similar words: pail

Common phrases: plastic bucket, bucket and spade, empty bucket

The amount of something that fits inside one such container.

• We need a bucket of water.
• He poured two buckets of sand into the hole.
• The cow produced almost a bucket of milk.

How to use it: a bucket of something (She poured a bucket of cold water over the steps.)

Similar words: bucketful

Common phrases: bucket of water, bucket of sand, full bucket

A very large amount of liquid.

• It rained buckets all afternoon.
• He was sweating buckets in the heat.
• She cried buckets when her dog died.

Common phrases: rain buckets, sweat buckets, cry buckets

To rain very heavily.

• It’s starting to bucket down.
• It bucketed down throughout our walk.
• Is it still bucketing down outside?

How to use it: it buckets down (It was bucketing down when we left.)

Similar words: pour

Common phrases: bucket down, bucket with rain

To lift or move water or another substance using a container with a handle.

• They bucketed water from the well.
• We bucketed the floodwater out of the cellar.
• He spent the morning bucketing sand into the truck.

How to use it: bucket something out of something (We bucketed water out of the boat.)

Common phrases: bucket water, bucket something out