1bar·rel 
/ˈberəl/ noun
plural bar·rels /ˈberəl/ noun [count] 1 a : a round usually wooden container with curved sides and flat ends
▪ Oak barrels are used for aging the wine. ▪ an empty barrel
b : the amount of something in a barrel
▪ The price of oil is over 30 dollars a barrel. ▪ They drank a whole barrel of beer. — see also pork barrel 2 : the part of a gun that the bullets go through when the gun is fired
▪ the barrel of a gun ▪ a rifle barrel — see picture at gun; see also lock, stock, and barrel at 1lock
▪ Oak barrels are used for aging the wine. ▪ an empty barrel
b : the amount of something in a barrel
▪ The price of oil is over 30 dollars a barrel. ▪ They drank a whole barrel of beer. — see also pork barrel
▪ the barrel of a gun ▪ a rifle barrel — see picture at gun; see also lock, stock, and barrel at 1lock
a barrel of laughs
informal : someone or something that is very funny — often used in negative statements or in an ironic way to describe someone or something that is not really funny ▪ Several people have lost their jobs recently, so the office isn't exactly a barrel of laughs these days. ▪ “Your boss is quite a kidder.” “Oh yeah, he's a real barrel of laughs.”
more fun than a barrel (full) of monkeys
US, informal + somewhat old-fashioned : very funny and enjoyable
▪ The ads say the movie will be more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
▪ The ads say the movie will be more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
over a barrel
: in a bad situation : in a situation where you are forced to do something you do not want to do
▪ My landlord really has me over a barrel. I have to either pay double my rent or move somewhere else.
▪ My landlord really has me over a barrel. I have to either pay double my rent or move somewhere else.
the bottom of the barrel — see 1bottom
— bar·reled (US) or Brit bar·relled /ˈberəld/ adjective — used in combination ▪ a short-barreled shotgun [=a shotgun having a short barrel] — see also double-barreled
/ˈberəld/ adjective — used in combination ▪ a short-barreled shotgun [=a shotgun having a short barrel] — see also double-barreled
