jerry can

American  

[jer-ee kan] / ˈdʒɛr i ˌkæn /

Or jerrycan,

noun

1. Also called blitz can.  Military. a narrow, flat-sided, 5-gallon (19-liter) container for fluids, as fuel.

2. British. a can with a capacity of 4½ imperial gallons (5.4 U.S. gallons or 20.4 liters).

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jerry can British  

noun

1. a flat-sided can with a capacity of between 4.5 and 5 gallons used for storing or transporting liquids, esp motor fuel: originally a German design adopted by the British Army during World War II

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Etymology

Origin of jerry can

1940–45; apparently Jerry “German”; the British supposedly manufactured the can after a German prototype

Example Sentences

Left behind on the street outside the Louvre was the truck, a jerry can, a blowtorch, angle grinders, a walkie-talkie and yellow vests.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

A child lugs a jerry can half his size full of water.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 2024

Some firewood, rugs, woven mats, rolled-up clothing or sheets, a dark green plastic tub, and an oversized plastic jerry can were lashed to the bed of the cart.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2020

On 31 December Mr Martin, 32, hired a van in Luton and drove to Peterborough where he bought a metal jerry can, fire starters, windproof matches, binoculars, a torch and a lock knife.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2019

Behind her, one of the firemen placed the charred remnants of the jerry can into the truck—to send to the insurance company, she had no doubt.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng