Etymology Map
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Bucket

3 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means an open container with a handle for carrying liquid

Where does the word "bucket" come from? It comes from Old English buc, passing through Anglo-French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
buc
Old English · medieval
"belly, trunk"
an Old English word that blended with Anglo-Norman 'buquet'
2
Stage 2 of 3
buket
Anglo-French · medieval
"pail, tub"
used for a washtub or pail
3
Stage 3 of 3
bucket
English · 1200s
"a pail"
'kick the bucket' dates from the 1700s
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Read the full story

Bucket’s story begins in Old English: buc meant “belly, trunk.” An Old English word that blended with Anglo-Norman 'buquet'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Anglo-French as buket. Used for a washtub or pail. It reached English by 1200s as bucket. 'kick the bucket' dates from the 1700s. Today, bucket means an open container with a handle for carrying liquid.