Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bushel

/ˈbuʃəl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.79 in modern English

Syllables: bush-el
IPA: /ˈbuʃəl/

11

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A dry measure, containing four pecks, eight gallons, or thirty-two quarts; equivalent in volume to approximately 0.0364 cubic meters (imperial bushel) or 0.0352 cubic meters (U.S. bushel).

noun

A vessel of the capacity of a bushel, used in measuring; a bushel measure.

noun

A quantity that fills a bushel measure.

noun

A large indefinite quantity.

Colloquial

noun

The iron lining in the nave of a wheel.

British usage

verb

To mend or repair clothes.

American usage

verb

To pack grain, hops, etc. into bushel measures.

Example Sentences

"The quarter, bushel, and peck are nearly universal measures of corn."
"Forecasts are showing no sign of an end to the drought, with corn prices hitting a record high of $8.16 (£5.19) a bushel on Thursday, while soya beans hit a high of $17.17."
"And he sayde unto them: is the candle lighted, to be put under a busshell, or under the borde: ys it not therfore lighted that it shulde be put on a candelsticke?"
"a heap containing ten bushels of apples"
"The prime minister[…]has got pounds of vision. Ounces of it! Pints! A whole bushel worth of phoned-in gibberish designed to get him through a single news cycle."
"The same film [Hamnet], in the coming weeks, will win awards by the bushel."

Etymology

From Middle English busshel, from Old French boissel, from boisse, a grain measure based on Gaulish *bostyā (“handful”), from Proto-Celtic *bostā (“palm, fist”) (compare Breton boz (“hollow of the hand”), Old Irish bas), from Proto-Indo-European *gwost-, *gwosdʰ- (“branch”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: busshel, boissel, *bostyā, *bostā, *gwost-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbuʃəl/

Usage

Colloquial
British usage
American usage

Inflected Forms

bushels (plural) bushels (present, singular) busheling (US, participle) bushelling (UK, participle) busheled (US, participle) busheled (US, past) bushelled (UK, participle) bushelled (UK, past)

Derived Forms

bushelage bushelful busheller bushelman bushelwoman

Phrases

bushel basket bushel measure hide one's light under a bushel Winchester bushel

Frequently Paired Words

kenning

Synonyms

box repair mend fix doctor furbish up restore touch on

Rhymes With

bushell hide one's light under a bushel

Questions

How do you pronounce bushel?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbuʃəl/.
What does bushel mean?: A dry measure, containing four pecks, eight gallons, or thirty-two quarts; equivalent in volume to approximately 0.0364 cubic meters (imperial bushel) or 0.0352 cubic meters (U.S. bushel).
Where does bushel come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce bushel

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bushel”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbuʃəl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “bushel” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.