noun
bucket for liquids; sake bucket; soy sauce bucket
A traditional wooden bucket used for carrying or storing liquids such as sake, soy sauce, or water. Often associated with old-fashioned or rural settings.
昔の酒屋では、ため桶で日本酒を量り売りしていた。
In old liquor stores, they used to sell sake by measure using a wooden bucket.
noun
manure bucket; fertilizer bucket
Specifically a bucket used for carrying manure or night soil as fertilizer, a common practice in pre-modern agriculture.
農家ではため桶に肥やしを入れて畑に運んだ。
Farmers used to carry manure in a bucket to the fields.
noun
rainwater bucket; firefighting bucket
A bucket kept filled with rainwater for use in extinguishing fires, especially in traditional fire prevention setups.
江戸時代の町家では、火事に備えてため桶に雨水をためていた。
In Edo-period townhouses, they kept rainwater in a bucket in case of fire.
桶 is a general term for a wooden bucket or tub, while ため桶 specifically refers to a bucket used for storing or carrying liquids, manure, or rainwater.
バケツ is the modern loanword for a bucket, typically made of metal or plastic, whereas ため桶 is a traditional wooden bucket with specific historical uses.
Compound of ため (溜め, 'storing' or 'accumulating') and 桶 (おけ, 'bucket'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word refers to a bucket used for holding or carrying various substances.