A barrel is a large, rounded container, usually made of wood, used for storing and transporting liquids like water, wine, or oil. Barrels have a distinctive bulging shape in the middle and flat ends, held together by metal bands called hoops. This design makes them sturdy enough to hold heavy liquids and easy to roll on their side for moving.

For thousands of years, barrels were essential for trade and storage. Sailors loaded barrels of fresh water and salted meat onto ships for long voyages. Farmers stored cider in barrels. Today, whiskey and winemakers still age their drinks in wooden barrels, which can affect the flavor.

The word also describes the long, tube-shaped part of a gun through which a bullet travels, or the main cylindrical body of something, like the barrel of a pen.

When someone says they're over a barrel, they mean they're in a difficult situation with no good options. If you're barreling down a hill on your bike, you're going fast and probably a bit out of control. And if something is like shooting fish in a barrel, it means the task is so easy it's almost unfair.