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jerrycan

jerrycan

1 4.4
A flat container with a handle for carrying fuel or water
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛrɪˌkæn/
  • UK
translation icon : bidón
  • The workers lined up to fill their jerrycans from the only functioning tap in the village.

Examples

  • "It seemed so ridiculous that I turned around and asked, "Do you mean the G.I. jerrycans, the steel ones with a composition lining?"

    Fiction book (1991)
  • If, at the same time, a small quantity of fuel is put into the fuel tank, for example via the jerrycan, the feed unit according to the invention is capable of feeding the topped-up fuel.

    Blog text (26)
  • They buried the cross-country motorcycle with its reinforced tires and the jerrycans of spare fuel to get it to the border, should the need arise.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • It's a sweltering October day just 3 degrees north of the Equator in Northern Uganda's Adjumani District, where a dozen children and a handful of women have gathered at the public tap stand with their 20-liter jerrycans.

    Academic text (2015)
  • At the refugee camp, many families carried jerrycans filled with clean water for cooking and drinking.

  • She struggled to lift the jerrycan full of fuel and carefully poured it into the generator.

Synonyms

can
vsjerrycan
  • US
491 1.0

A sealed metal container for food or drink

is flat-sided with a handle and meant for carrying fuel or water
jerrican
vsjerrycan
  • UK
1 6.9

A strong, flat container with a handle for carrying fuel or water

has identical meaning but uses alternate spelling with a different vowel

How Big

tank
596 1.0
drum
73 1.0
jerrycan
  • UK
1 4.4
jug
41 1.0
bottle
1.0
vial
101 4.0

Surface Forms

jerrycan singular
jerrycans plural

Morphology

jerrycan = jerry + can (semi-transparent) = jerry + can

The part 'can' is transparent, but 'jerry' is a historical slang element (WWII/German) that is not a productive or obvious English prefix for most learners.

Etymology

Jerrycan comes from the British wartime nickname Jerry for 'Germans' and the word can meaning a container. It was the name for a strong German design for carrying fuel or water, so today jerrycan means a flat, sturdy container used to store and carry fuel or water.