A pail is a bucket, usually made of metal or wood.
[mainly US [mainly, also British, old-fashioned]
pail in British English
(peɪl)
noun
1.
a bucket, esp one made of wood or metal
2. Also called: pailful
the quantity that fills a pail
Word origin
Old English pægel; compare Catalan paella frying pan, paella
pail in American English
(peɪl)
noun
1.
a more or less cylindrical container, usually with a hoop-shaped handle, for holding and carrying liquids, etc.; bucket
2.
the amount held by a pail
: also ˈpailˌfulWord forms: pluralˈpailˌfuls
Word origin
ME paile < OE pægel, small measure, wine vessel < LL pagella (dim. of L pagina, page1), a small page, in VL, a measure of area, later a measure of volume: infl. by OFrpaele, a pan < L patella: see patella
Examples of 'pail' in a sentence
pail
Benedict put the pail down beside the vet, then returned to where Grace was standing, nursing her bandaged arm.
Stewart, Michael GRACE (1995)
In other languages
pail
British English: pail /peɪl/ NOUN
A pail is a bucket, usually made of metal or wood.