1a cylindrical container bulging out in the middle, traditionally made of wooden staves with metal hoops round them:the wine is then matured in old barrels
a barrel together with its contents:a barrel of beer
a measure of capacity used for oil and beer, usually equal to 36 imperial gallons for beer and 35 imperial gallons or 42 US gallons (roughly 159 litres) for oil:the well was producing 10,000 barrels a day
2a cylindrical tube forming part of an object such as a gun or a pen:a gun barrel
3the belly and loins of a four-legged animal such as a horse:a Welsh mountain pony with a barrel like a butt of wine
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Universal
1 [no object, with adverbial of direction] informal, chiefly North American drive or move in a way that is so fast as to almost be out of control:they shot him and then barreled away in the truck
2 [with object] put into a barrel or barrels:when the young spirit is barrelled, it absorbs some of this flavour
a barrel of laughs
[with negative] informal a source of amusement or pleasure:life is not exactly a barrel of laughs at the moment
over a barrel
informal in a helpless position; at someone’s mercy:I like doing business with a man who knows he’s over a barrel
with both barrels
informal with unrestrained force or emotion:cut to the quick, he let go with both barrels
