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firkin

   Also found in: Wikipedia 0.04 sec.
fir·kin  (fûrkn)
n.
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 kwetwer- in Indo-European roots + deel, part; see dail- in Indo-European roots.]

firkin
Noun
1. a small wooden barrel or similar container
2. Brit a unit of capacity equal to nine gallons [Middle Dutch vierde fourth]

Firkin a measure of quantity; half a kilderkin, 1465; as a small cask for liquids, fish, butter, etc.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.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

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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.
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.
"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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