Meanings
nounjerrycan (plural jerrycans)
plural jerrycans
- A robust container for fuel or water, of a certain more or less rectangular shape, often made from pressed steel.
Anyone with half a brain and a jerrycan of fertilizer's got an army.
2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 2591 more example
The police fell back, swatting and cursing. At the gateway, somebody grabbed a jerrycan of water from Jonamon's hut and flung its contents at the swarm.
1987, Michael Swanwick, Vacuum Flowers, New York: Arbor House, →ISBN, page 46
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
From Jerry (“a German”) + can, from its use by German troops in World War II.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian туба
- туба (tuba)pressed-steel fuel container
Chinese Mandarin 汽油罐, 油罐
- 汽油罐 (qìyóu guàn)pressed-steel fuel container
- 油罐 (yóuguàn)pressed-steel fuel container
Czech kanystr
- kanystrpressed-steel fuel container
Danish jerrycan, benzindunk
- jerrycanpressed-steel fuel container
- benzindunkpressed-steel fuel container
Dutch jerrycan
- jerrycanpressed-steel fuel container
Finnish jerrykannu, kanisteri
- jerrykannupressed-steel fuel container
- kanisteripressed-steel fuel container
French jerricane, jerrican
- jerricanepressed-steel fuel container
- jerricanpressed-steel fuel container
- bidonpressed-steel fuel container
German Benzinkanister, Kanister
- Benzinkanisterpressed-steel fuel container
- Kanisterpressed-steel fuel container
Greek κάνιστρο
- κάνιστρο (kánistro)pressed-steel fuel container
Hebrew גֶ׳רִיקָן
- גֶ׳רִיקָן (jerikan)pressed-steel fuel container
Indonesian jeriken
- jerikenpressed-steel fuel container
Italian tanica
- tanicapressed-steel fuel container
Japanese ジェリカン
- ジェリカン (jerikan)pressed-steel fuel container
Korean 제리캔
- 제리캔 (jerikaen)pressed-steel fuel container
Norwegian Bokmål jerrykanne
- jerrykannepressed-steel fuel container
Polish kanister
- kanisterpressed-steel fuel container
Portuguese galão
- galãopressed-steel fuel container
Russian кани́стра
- кани́стра (kanístra)pressed-steel fuel container
Spanish bidón
- bidónpressed-steel fuel container
Swahili jerikeni
- jerikenipressed-steel fuel container
Swedish jeepdunk, jerrykanna
- jeepdunkpressed-steel fuel container
- jerrykannapressed-steel fuel container
Turkish bidon
- bidonpressed-steel fuel container
Ukrainian кані́стра
- кані́стра (kanístra)pressed-steel fuel container
Cite this entry
APA
jerrycan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jerrycan
MLA
“jerrycan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jerrycan. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jerrycan,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jerrycan.
Source: jerrycan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.