To put or pack into a barrel; an archaic or specialized term.
From em- (prefix) + barrel + '-el' (or no suffix). This is an archaic formation meaning to confine or pack something in a barrel, following the pattern of other 'em-' verbs.
Words like 'embarrel' reveal that English once had tons of 'em-' verbs we've now lost—'embrace,' 'embark,' and 'empower' survive, but 'embarrel,' 'enshrine,' and 'embosom' are fading, showing how language constantly prunes its vocabulary.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.