gallon

noun

gal·​lon ˈga-lən How to pronounce gallon (audio)
: a unit of liquid capacity equal to 231 cubic inches or four quarts see Weights and Measures Table

Examples of gallon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web An acre-foot is roughly 326,000 gallons, generally enough to support a few households for a year, though most of the river’s water is used on farms. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 For those looking to find a home for extra shoes, blankets, pillows, and other miscellaneous items, taking advantage of these under-bed storage containers is a smart move since each bag holds up to 24 gallons. Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 All that, when done, is turned into 22 gallons of Golden Delicate maple syrup that Mary Haigh bottles for sale at their store and to ship around the country. Eric Seals, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024 The resolution came more than a year after one of the largest sewage spills resulted in 143 million gallons of toxic waste flowing into the Tijuana River Valley, and more than a year before Congress approved $300 million to double the capacity of the treatment plant. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024 The Piper had 15 gallons of fuel available in one of two tanks, but the pilot used a tank that became depleted while the aircraft underwent its annual inspection at the airport. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 Key Facts Drivers in the U.S. are paying roughly $3.31 for a gallon of gas on Wednesday, according to data from GasBuddy, while AAA puts the price slightly lower, at an average of $3.29. Brian Bushard, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Water planning has been a major topic in Indiana in recent months, driven largely by concerns over the LEAP District project and plans to pipe millions of gallons of water dozens of miles for the manufacturing development. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 Her district includes Lafayette, where the Indiana Economic Development Corporation plans to withdraw up to 100 million gallons of water a day to feed the LEAP District near Lebanon, so she's been knee-deep in residents' concerns about accountability. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gallon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English galun, galoun, galon, a liquid measure, borrowed from Anglo-French galun, galon, jalon, from Old French jal-, base of jaloie "container for liquids, bucket" (going back to Vulgar Latin *gallēta, of uncertain origin) + -on, diminutive or particularizing suffix, going back to Latin -ō, -ōn-, suffix of persons with a prominent feature

Note: Presumed *gallēta (attested as Medieval Latin galeta "wine vessel, liquid measure" in 11th-century texts) has been linked to several classical Greek words for containers, as kálathos "kind of basket, wine cooler," kēlástra "milk pail" (so glossed by Hesychius), though none of these fit formally; on the other hand, kēlḗtēs, kalḗtēs "sufferer from a hernia" (from kḗlē, kálē "tumor, hernia"; see -cele) fits formally but requires a contextual and semantic leap ("one swollen or ruptured" > "container"?).

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gallon was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near gallon

Cite this Entry

“Gallon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gallon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gallon

noun
gal·​lon ˈgal-ən How to pronounce gallon (audio)
: a unit of liquid capacity equal to 231 cubic inches or four quarts see measure

Medical Definition

gallon

noun
gal·​lon ˈgal-ən How to pronounce gallon (audio)
1
: a United States unit of liquid capacity equal to four quarts or 231 cubic inches or 3.785 liters
2
: a British unit of liquid and dry capacity equal to four quarts or 277.42 cubic inches or 4.544 liters

called also imperial gallon

More from Merriam-Webster on gallon

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