barrellike

Barrellike is an English adjective used to describe objects or forms that resemble a barrel in overall silhouette. A barrellike shape typically features a bulging midsection with ends that are comparatively narrower and roughly circular. The term is often applied to physical objects, but it can also describe projected forms in natural, architectural, or design contexts where a barrel-like contour is evident.

Etymology and usage notes: The word is formed from the noun barrel, with the suffix -like indicating similarity. It is a descriptive, non-technical term commonly found in general prose. In more formal or technical writing, barrel-shaped is often preferred, but barrellike remains widely understood and used in everyday description.

Applications and examples: Barrellike describes a range of forms, such as barrellike drums, seed pods with a rounded central body, or certain anatomical structures that taper toward the ends while expanding in the middle. In architecture, the term relates conceptually to barrel-shaped silhouettes, though the specific architectural term for such forms is barrel vault, which denotes a continuous arched construction separate from the general adjective.

See also: barrel, barrel-shaped, barrel vault, cylindrical.