Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Pail \Pail\, n. [OE. paile, AS. p[ae]gel a wine vessel, a pail,
   akin to D. & G. pegel a watermark, a gauge rod, a measure of
   wine, Dan. p[ae]gel half a pint.]
   A vessel of wood or tin, etc., usually cylindrical and having
   a bail, -- used esp. for carrying liquids, as water or milk,
   etc.; a bucket. It may, or may not, have a cover. --Shak.

Source : WordNet®

pail
     n 1: a roughly cylindrical that is vessel open at the top [syn: {bucket}]
     2: the quantity contained in a pail [syn: {pailful}]