gallon

noun

gal·​lon ˈga-lən 

: 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

The 22-mile-long, 12-mile-wide snow-fed lake holds 40 trillion gallons of water and is surrounded by 72 miles of shoreline. —Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Pestrella said the pipeline owners initially told first responders the spill was small, only about 2,000 gallons. —Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 9 June 2026

The volume of crystalline API needed to dose 450 million patients with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine would fill just two milk gallon jugs, Asparouhov said. —Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 9 June 2026

The weekly program, administered through the T-Mobile app, offers customers a 10 cents-per-gallon discount at all Shell stations, as well as other perks. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026

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

Phrases Containing gallon

• ten-gallon hat

Rhymes for gallon

• alan
• ballon
• talon
• concanavalin
• enkephalin
• trifluralin

Kids Definition

gallon

noun

gal·​lon ˈgal-ən 

: a unit of liquid capacity equal to 231 cubic inches or four quarts see measure

Medical Definition

gallon

noun

gal·​lon ˈgal-ən 

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