firkin

fir·kin

(fûr′kĭn)

1. A small wooden barrel or covered vessel.

2. Any of several British units of capacity, usually equal to about ¹/₄ of a barrel or 9 gallons (34 liters).

[Middle English ferken, ferdekin, probably from Middle Dutch *verdelkijn, diminutive of veerdel, one-fourth : veerde, fourth; see k^wetwer- in Indo-European roots + deel, part; see dail- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

firkin

(ˈfɜːkɪn)

1. (Brewing) a small wooden barrel or similar container

2. (Units) Brit a unit of capacity equal to nine gallons

[C14 fir, from Middle Dutch vierde fourth + -kin]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fir•kin

(ˈfɜr kɪn)

n.

1. a small wooden vessel or tub for butter, lard, etc.

2. an early English unit of capacity usu. equal to a quarter of a barrel.

[1400–50; late Middle English ferdkyn, firdekyn=ferde (variant of ferthe fourth) + -kin -kin]

Firkin

a measure of quantity; half a kilderkin, 1465; as a small cask for liquids, fish, butter, etc.

firkin

A unit of volume, used especially to measure beer or ale. 1 firkin = 9.8 US gal.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	firkin - a British unit of capacity equal to 9 imperial gallons British capacity unit, Imperial capacity unit - a unit of measure for capacity officially adopted in the British Imperial System; British units are both dry and wet congius, Imperial gallon, gallon - a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 4 quarts or 4.545 liters kilderkin - an obsolete British unit of capacity equal to 18 Imperial gallons
	2.	firkin - a small wooden keg keg - small cask or barrel

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

"I wish you could come to me in London, but I couldn't make a butt of you as I do of poor Briggs no, no, you little sly creature; you are too clever--Isn't she, Firkin?"

Firkin (who was dressing the very small remnant of hair which remained on Miss Crawley's pate), flung up her head and said, "I think Miss is very clever," with the most killing sarcastic air.

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Cato says, the master of a family (patremfamilias) must have in his rustic villa "cellam oleariam, vinariam, dolia multa, uti lubeat caritatem expectare, et rei, et virtuti, et gloriae erit," that is, "an oil and wine cellar, many casks, so that it may be pleasant to expect hard times; it will be for his advantage, and virtue, and glory." I had in my cellar a firkin of potatoes, about two quarts of peas with the weevil in them, and on my shelf a little rice, a jug of molasses, and of rye and Indian meal a peck each.

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"While I," quoth the other loudly, "do maintain the good sense and extraordinary wisdom of that most learned William against the crack-brained fantasies of the muddy Scotchman, who hath hid such little wit as he has under so vast a pile of words, that it is like one drop of Gascony in a firkin of ditch-water.

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I also, on balance, approved its joining the Firkin Brewery stable in the 90s, heralding the craft beer revolution - the famous Dogbolter, Frogs' Legs, Honey Mild, and I'm pretty sure a Firkin Missed Wembley Again.

The 1929 election that left our leaders in a flap

More recently from 1994 to 2001, it was The Fowl and Firkin, but following the sale of the Firkin chain, it became the Aardvark, and the on site brewery was removed.

Managing The Aardvark pub's one ale of a job!

Arvada, CO, August 12, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Join Marc Williams, the Mayor of Arvada, on Thursday, August 18th at 5pm at Odyssey Beerwerks for music, food, and ze tapping of ze first 5 gallon firkin of their Oktoberfest Bier at 5pm on August 18th.

Odyssey Beerwerks Oktoberfest Tapping w/the Mayor of Arvada - 8/18

But they earmarked the new site in their native Speke last year and have now installed their own equipment which means they have doubled production to 50 firkins - one firkin is equivalent to 72 pints - per week.

Big Bog gets bigger with Speke move; Business WiRe

The band will play next at Bristol's Fleece and Firkin on April 15.

Singer back in the groove with ex-band after 20 years

Proud father Noel, who was present at the birth, headed to the nearby Fitz and Firkin pub to wet the baby's head and he revealed that he'd cried at the birth.

On this day.. in 2000; RECORD READERS

In the August of 1995, it became Cardiff's first Firkin pub and was known as the Flyhalf and Firkin.

Tales of our city's oldest pubs; CARDIFF REMEMBERED

Dendor 1 Firkin's win was the day's second interbreed success for the late Denis Jones' Dendor herd, Caersws, which also bred the Pembrokeshire Show champion.

'This one's for our mum', say winning Welsh Pony sisters