hogshead
pronunciation
How to pronounce hogshead in British English:
UK ['hɒgz,hed]
How to pronounce hogshead in American English:
US [ 'hɑgz,hɛd]
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- Noun:
- a British unit of capacity for alcoholic beverages
- a large cask especially one holding 63 gals
Word Origin
- hogshead (n.)
- "large cask or barrel," late 14c., presumably on some perceived resemblance. The original liquid measure was 63 old wine gallons (by a statute of 1423); later anywhere from 100 to 140 gallons. Borrowed into other Germanic languages, oddly, as ox-head (Dutch okshoofd, German oxhoft, Swedish oxhufvud).
Example
- 1. They brought me a second hogshead .
- 2. The night remained clear , and huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve .
- 3. But the night remained clear , and huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve .
- 4. Tom got his lantern , lit it in the hogshead , wrapped it closely in the towel , and the two adventurers crept in the gloom toward the tavern .
- 5. His thick arms crossed on his hogshead of a chest . Have I not told you I always mean what I say about hunting ?