baril

barrel

noun bah-REE Rare

Origin: from Old French baril

Usage Note

Baril is the standard unit for measuring oil: un baril de pétrole ('a barrel of oil'). In everyday contexts it also refers to a wooden cask used for wine or spirits. The diminutive barillet can mean a small barrel or a cylinder in a revolver.

Examples

"Le prix du baril de pétrole a chuté."

Natural Translation

The price of a barrel of oil has fallen.

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