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).
Bushel
/ˈbʊʃəl/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: 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).
- Grammar: bushel is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abundance, acres, alqueire, barrel.
- Useful contrasts: few items, scarcity, small quantity.
- Usage evidence: She just hides her light under a bushel.
How to use "bushel"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bushel" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bushel" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bushel" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bushel" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bushel" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abundance" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bushel", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 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). historical
"The quarter, bushel, and peck are nearly universal measures of corn."
- 2 a United States dry measure equal to 4 pecks or 2152.42 cubic inches wordnet
- 3 A vessel of the capacity of a bushel, used in measuring; a bushel measure.
"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?"
- 4 a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 4 pecks wordnet
- 5 A quantity that fills a bushel measure.
"a heap containing ten bushels of apples"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A large indefinite quantity. colloquial
- 7 The iron lining in the nave of a wheel. UK
Verb
- 1 To mend or repair clothes. US, ambitransitive
- 2 restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken wordnet
- 3 To pack grain, hops, etc. into bushel measures.
Antonyms
Example
"She just hides her light under a bushel."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bushel"?
Common synonyms include: abundance, acres, alqueire, barrel, basket, doctor.
How do you use "bushel" in a sentence?
She just hides her light under a bushel.
How do you pronounce "bushel"?
Pronounced /ˈbʊʃəl/.
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”).