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drop in the bucket

drop in the buck·et
D d

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [drop in stressed th ee buhk-it]
    • /drɒp ɪn stressed ði ˈbʌk ɪt/
    • /drɒp ɪn ðə ˈbʌk.ɪt/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [drop in stressed th ee buhk-it]
    • /drɒp ɪn stressed ði ˈbʌk ɪt/

Definitions of drop in the bucket words

  • noun drop in the bucket a deep, cylindrical vessel, usually of metal, plastic, or wood, with a flat bottom and a semicircular bail, for collecting, carrying, or holding water, sand, fruit, etc.; pail. 1
  • noun drop in the bucket anything resembling or suggesting this. 1
  • noun drop in the bucket Machinery. any of the scoops attached to or forming the endless chain in certain types of conveyors or elevators. the scoop or clamshell of a steam shovel, power shovel, or dredge. a vane or blade of a waterwheel, paddle wheel, water turbine, or the like. 1
  • noun drop in the bucket (in a dam) a concave surface at the foot of a spillway for deflecting the downward flow of water. 1
  • noun drop in the bucket a bucketful: a bucket of sand. 1
  • noun drop in the bucket Basketball. Informal. field goal. the part of the keyhole extending from the foul line to the end line. 1
See all 16 definitions of drop in the bucket

Information block about the term

Origin of drop in the bucket

First appearance:

before 1250
One of the 11% oldest English words
1250-1300; Middle English buket < Anglo-French < Old English bucc (variant of būc vessel, belly; cognate with German Bauch) + Old French -et -et

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Drop in the bucket

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Drop in the bucket

drop in the bucket popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

drop in the bucket usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for drop in the bucket

noun drop in the bucket

  • bit — A bit of something is a small part or section of it.
  • pittance — a small amount or share.
  • small change — coins of small denomination.
  • small potatoes — a person or thing of little significance, importance, or value: His salary was small potatoes for an executive of his ability.
  • band-aid — A Band-Aid is a small piece of sticky tape that you use to cover small cuts or wounds on your body.
All 8 Synonyms of drop in the bucket

See also

Matching words

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