Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

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

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A measure of capacity, usually the fourth part of a barrel, and varying in magnitude with the barrel.
  • noun A small wooden vessel or cask of no determinate capacity, used chiefly for butter, tallow, soap, etc.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

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

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a British unit of capacity equal to 9 imperial gallons
  • noun a small wooden keg

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[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.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle Dutch *vierdekijn, diminutive of vierde ("fourth"), from vier ("four"), equivalent to fourth +‎ -kin.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word firkin.

Examples

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

    Long Island Beer Events 2009

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

    Next Cask Night at Deks: Oakham Bishop's Farewell 2008

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

    LENNDEVOURS: 2008

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

    Donavan Hall 2008

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

    Reports and Opinions While Secretary of State 1892

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

    Public Papers 1775

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

    News By Andy Rathbun 2010

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

    News By Andy Rathbun 2010

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

    Long Island Beer Events 2009

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

    Donavan Hall 2008

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

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

    February 13, 2007

  • 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.

    February 13, 2007

  • 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."

    February 15, 2007

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

    February 15, 2007

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

    February 15, 2007

  • 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.

    February 16, 2007

  • 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."

    February 16, 2007

  • Anyone named "Gherkin" has enough trouble already without me throwing my two cents in.

    February 16, 2007

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

    February 17, 2007

  •      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!"

    February 17, 2007

  • HA! Splendid! Best firkin limerick I've heard in quite a while.

    February 17, 2007

  • props to uselessness for a most excellent limerick!

    February 19, 2007

  • 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

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

    May 18, 2007

  • *awkward smirk*

    *cough*

    *looks away*

    May 18, 2007

  • Yes they were. Firkin germs. For all I know it was the gherkins.

    May 19, 2007

  • ODE TO MODERATION

    Overindulge, my lads at your peril:

    A firkin here, a firkin there...

    and pretty soon

    you’re over a barrel.

    --jorge999

    November 14, 2009

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

    November 14, 2009

  • "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 4, 2010

  • Noooo! Not the firkins again!

    May 4, 2010