bucketful

Everyday

1. The amount that one bucket can hold: «a bucketful of water». tree →
2. (informal) A large amount: «bucketfuls of rain». tree →

In the lessons

In maths and science problems «bucketful» is a unit of measure: if a bucket holds 10 litres, 3 bucketfuls hold 30 litres. In everyday talk, «it rained buckets» or «bucketfuls» means very heavy rain. Phrases: «by the bucketful».

Examples

• We carried a bucketful of sand to make the castle. tree →
• It took six bucketfuls to fill the paddling pool. tree →
• The bucket holds 8 litres, so 4 bucketfuls are 32 litres. tree →
• She poured a bucketful of water over the campfire. tree →
• They earned money by the bucketful. tree →
• The farmer gave the pigs a bucketful of scraps. tree →
• The Prince gave him a second bucketful. tree →

Note

Plural: bucketfuls (standard) or bucketsful (rarer). Same pattern: spoonful, cupful, handful. In maths: number of bucketfuls × capacity of one bucket = total.