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  1. firkin love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

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

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A measure of capacity, usually the fourth part of a barrel, and varying in magnitude with the barrel. The English ale and beer firkin is 9 imperial gallons, equal to 10.8 United States gallons; but at the time when ale- and beer-measures were distinct a firkin of beer was 9 gallons, while a firkin of ale was only 8 gallons. A firkin of honey was also 8 gallons, by a statute of 1581. A firkin of butter is 56 pounds (36 Geo. III.). A firkin of soap is 64 pounds or 8 gallons. The oldest firkins were of much greater capacity. Thus, by a statute of 1423 the firkin was 84 gallons; while by another of 1482 the firkin of fish was made 21 gallons, being one fourth of a butt and half a barrel. An Irish firkin was half a barrel or 100 pounds.
  2. n. A small wooden vessel or cask of no determinate capacity, used chiefly for butter, tallow, soap, etc.

Wiktionary

  1. n. US A small wooden vessel or cask of indeterminate size, -- used for butter, lard, etc.
  2. n. A weight measure for butter, equalling 56 pounds.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. engraving A varying measure of capacity, usually being the fourth part of a barrel; specifically, a measure equal to nine imperial gallons.
  2. n. U.S. A small wooden vessel or cask of indeterminate size, -- used for butter, lard, etc.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a British unit of capacity equal to 9 imperial gallons
  2. n. a small wooden keg

Etymologies

  1. From Middle Dutch *vierdekijn, diminutive of vierde ("fourth"), from vier ("four"), equivalent to fourth +‎ -kin. (Wiktionary)
  2. 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. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “This particular firkin is reserved for thirsty Long Island beer enthusiasts.”

    LENNDEVOURS:

  • “Eight gallons make a measure called a firkin, in liquid substances, and a bushel, dry.”

    Public Papers

  • “firkin" - a small keg where cask ale is fermented.”

    News

  • “The cask of Oakham Bishops Farewell is a full firkin which is about 80 pints.”

    Long Island Beer Events

  • “a firkin is a 10-gallon keg filled with beer that's been naturally fermented.”

    StarTribune.com rss feed

  • “Authorized Version "firkin," for liquids. (b) The choenix,”

    Smith's Bible Dictionary

  • “The next Firkin Friday is scheduled for Friday, February 8 with a full firkin of Oakham Bishop's Farewell.”

    Long Island Beer Events

  • “As far as I can tell, this may be Hop Head Red's Long Island premier (in a firkin, at least).”

    Long Island Beer Events

  • “Tonight, starting at 6 p.m., a firkin of Oakham Bishops Farewell will be available on cask in the tap room.”

    Long Island Beer Events

  • “The beer has been fermenting away at Mike's house for the last couple of weeks and earlier this week it was ready to transfer into the firkin.”

    Long Island Beer Events

Show 10 more examples...

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hypernyms (3)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. imperial capacity unit
  1. british capacity unit
  1. keg

same context (17)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. spreadability
  2. Quassia
  3. j±
  1. fajnie
  2. lard
  3. barrell
  1. poczekaæ
  2. warto
  3. flitch
  1. fellow
  2. hogshead
  3. ponownie
  1. swig
  2. tankard
  3. half-cup
  1. six-packs
  2. assize

reverse dictionary (4)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. fir
  1. butter-spade
  1. tub
  1. vessel

tags (2)

Free-form, user-generated categorization

  1. beer
  1. t-shirt

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Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘firkin’.

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Comments

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  • reesetee Noooo! Not the firkins again! May 4, 2010

  • chained_bear "Have a large firkin, put in a layer of sliced tomatoes, then one of onions, next one of peppers, lastly cabbage; sprinkle over some of the mustard seed, repeat the layers again, and so on.... skim it well and turn it into the firkin. Let it stand twenty-four hours, then pour the whole into a large kettle, and let it boil five minutes; turn into the firkin, and stand away for future use."
    —Jane Warren, The Economical Cook Book, ca. 1882, quoted in Susan Williams, Savory Suppers and Fashionable Feasts: Dining in Victorian America (New York: Pantheon Books, 1985), 271 May 3, 2010

  • Jubjub Firkin Robert Frost firkin firkins "forty firkins" in his firkin firkinly poem "Directive." (said in the voice of a displaced Smurf.) Nov 14, 2009

  • jorge999 ODE TO MODERATION

    Overindulge, my lads at your peril:
    A firkin here, a firkin there...
    and pretty soon
    you’re over a barrel.
    --jorge999
    Nov 14, 2009

  • reesetee Yes they were. Firkin germs. For all I know it was the gherkins. May 19, 2007

  • uselessness *awkward smirk*
    *cough*
    *looks away* May 18, 2007

  • oroboros Some bad ole germs were lurkin' at the Ferkin, I'm certain. May 18, 2007

  • reesetee Update: The Firkin Tavern (mentioned below)? Went there yesterday. Got food poisoning. Wouldn't go there again if my firkin life depended on it. May 18, 2007

  • sionnach props to uselessness for a most excellent limerick! Feb 18, 2007

  • reesetee HA! Splendid! Best firkin limerick I've heard in quite a while. Feb 16, 2007

  • uselessness      I once had a coworker, Gherkin
         Who routinely adjusted her merkin
         Unaware that we knew
         She did the taboo
         And thusly is no longer workin'

    Um... the title is "Have a Nice Firkin Day!" Feb 16, 2007

  • sionnach I knitted you a jerkin for your firkin merkin, Gherkin. Now I expect a limerick in return. Feb 16, 2007

  • uselessness Anyone named "Gherkin" has enough trouble already without me throwing my two cents in. Feb 16, 2007

  • reesetee Well, that wouldn't be so bad unless the person you were calling a firkin merkin was named, say, gherkin. Then you'd have to say, "Have a nice firkin merkin, Gherkin." Feb 16, 2007

  • chained_bear Or, if I wanted a black eye and a harassment suit, I could say "Have a nice firkin merkin."

    Sorry. Someone had to say it. Feb 16, 2007

  • sionnach On the other hand, if you asked her about her merkin, you might end up in a lawsuit. Feb 15, 2007

  • reesetee That's firkin excellent. Probably doesn't hurt that you're all 18th-centuryish there. :-) Feb 15, 2007

  • chained_bear I've been using "firkin" at work as much as possible lately. Carefully. Our receptionist doesn't bat an eye anymore when I say "Have a nice firkin day." Feb 15, 2007

  • reesetee There's a Firkin Tavern not far from where I work. Motto: "The Best Firkin Tavern in Town!" They make liberal use of the fact that the word sounds so much like the F-bomb. (I also like that it serves "sammiches" instead of "sandwiches.") ;-)

    Apparently there's also a restaurant chain picking up on the idea. Oh well. Feb 13, 2007

  • chained_bear A small cask for liquids, fish, butter, etc., originally containing a quarter of a ‘barrel’ or half a ‘kilderkin’. Feb 13, 2007

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‘firkin’ has been looked up 5288 times, loved by 3 people, added to 41 lists, commented on 20 times, and has a Scrabble score of 13.