A vessel of wood, tin, plastic, etc., usually cylindrical and having a handle -- used especially for carrying liquids, for example water or milk; a bucket (sometimes with a cover).
The word pail comes from Middle English and likely originated in Old English as a term for a wine vessel or container for liquids. Its roots trace back to Proto-Indo-European *bak-, meaning "peg" or "club," which is also related to modern words like German Pegel that refer to liquid levels.