A bucket is typically a watertight, vertical cylinder or truncated cone or square, with an open top and a flat bottom that is attached to a semicircular carrying handle called the bail. A bucket is usually an open-top container. When in reference to a shipping container, the term "pail" is used as a technical term, specifically referring to a bucket-shaped package with a sealed top or lid, which is used as a transport container for chemicals and industrial products.
Buckets are used for catching, holding, or carrying liquids and solids. Buckets may also be used for long-term food storage. As an obsolete unit of measurement, at least one source documents a 'bucket' as being equivalent to .