a carboy

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   A large glass or plastic container with a narrow neck, used for holding liquids like chemicals or homemade wine.

   Grammar: Countable: one carboy, two carboys. It often appears with 'of' to show contents: a carboy of acid.

   Patterns

   • a carboy of something
   • fill a carboy
   • a glass carboy

   The lab technician carefully poured the solution into a carboy.

   He stored his homemade cider in a five-gallon carboy in the basement.

   A carboy of sulfuric acid sat on the shelf, clearly labeled.

Word forms

Common combinations

glass carboy

Glass carboys are heavy but do not scratch easily.

plastic carboy

A plastic carboy is lighter and safer to carry.

carboy of water

They kept a carboy of water in the corner of the workshop.

ferment in a carboy

The beer needs to ferment in a carboy for two weeks.

Synonyms and how they differ

demijohn

This is a similar large bottle, often wicker-covered, used especially for wine or oil; it is more common in British English.

jug

A jug is smaller and usually has a handle and a wider mouth, while a carboy is large and has a narrow neck.

Commonly confused: a carboy or carbon?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a carboy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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