bushel

1
[ boosh-uhl ]
See synonyms for bushel on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a unit of dry measure containing 4 pecks, equivalent in the U.S. (and formerly in England) to 2,150.42 cubic inches or 35.24 liters (Win·ches·ter bushel ), and in Great Britain to 2,219.36 cubic inches or 36.38 liters (Im·pe·ri·al bushel ).Abbreviation: bu., bush.

  2. a container of this capacity.

  1. a unit of weight equal to the weight of a bushel of a given commodity.

  2. a large, unspecified amount or number: a bushel of kisses.

Origin of bushel

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bu(i)sshel, bus(s)chel, from Old French boissel, boistiel, equivalent to boisse unit of measure for grain (from assumed Gaulish bostia; compare Middle Irish bas, bos “palm of the hand, handbreadth,” Breton boz “palm of the hand”) + -el noun suffix

Words Nearby bushel

Other definitions for bushel (2 of 2)

bushel2
[ boosh-uhl ]

verb (used with object),bush·eled, bush·el·ing or (especially British) bush·elled, bush·el·ling.
  1. to alter or repair (a garment).

Origin of bushel

2
1875–80, Americanism;<German bosseln to patch <French bosseler to emboss; see boss2

Other words from bushel

  • bush·el·er; especially British, bush·el·ler, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bushel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bushel (1 of 2)

bushel1

/ (ˈbʊʃəl) /


noun
  1. a Brit unit of dry or liquid measure equal to 8 Imperial gallons. 1 Imperial bushel is equivalent to 0.036 37 cubic metres

  2. a US unit of dry measure equal to 64 US pints. 1 US bushel is equivalent to 0.035 24 cubic metres

  1. a container with a capacity equal to either of these quantities

  2. US informal a large amount; great deal

  3. hide one's light under a bushel to conceal one's abilities or good qualities

Origin of bushel

1
C14: from Old French boissel, from boisse one sixth of a bushel, of Gaulish origin

British Dictionary definitions for bushel (2 of 2)

bushel2

/ (ˈbʊʃəl) /


verb-els, -elling, -elled, -els, -eling or -eled
  1. (tr) US to alter or mend (a garment)

Origin of bushel

2
C19: probably from German bosseln to do inferior work, patch, from Middle High German bōzeln to beat, from Old High German bōzan

Derived forms of bushel

  • busheller, busheler or bushelman, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bushel

bushel

see hide one's light under a bushel.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.