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Glite Dictionary
barrelhead

barrelhead

2 6.8
A flat round wooden top of a barrel used as a table or sign
  • noun
translation icon : tapa de barril

Examples

  • I'll just lay it on the barrelhead, then.

    Shane (1953)

  • Only thing makes you a guest in this joint... is cash on the barrelhead!

    Dark City (1998)

  • Rule #1: If you can't pay cash on the barrelhead, wait until you can.

    Blog text (25)

  • WE GOT 20 BUCKS, CASH ON THE BARRELHEAD.

    Supergirl (1984)

  • It seems to be quite a bonanza, though, for Paul and the Worthe Group—they're getting a lot of cash on the barrelhead for bringing in a partner.

    Blog text (32)

  • The restaurant used a barrelhead as a unique table for customers to enjoy their meals.

  • We set up the decorations on the barrelhead, making the party feel festive and rustic.

  • He used the old barrelhead as a display for his collection of antique bottles.

Synonyms

head
vsbarrelhead
∞ 1.8

The rounded top part of something, like a bone or tool

is the flat circular end often used as a table or decoration

Surface Forms

barrelhead singular
barrelheads plural

Morphology

barrelhead = barrel + head (transparent) = barrel + head

The meaning is directly predictable from 'barrel' (container) + 'head' (top/end), so learners knowing both words can infer the compound.

Etymology

Barrelhead comes from the simple parts barrel and head, where head here means the 'top' or 'end' of the barrel. Think of the flat, round 'head' of a barrel being used as a small table, sign, or decoration — that is why a barrelhead is the flat, circular end of a barrel used in this way.