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prettygoodwordfirkin (FUR-kin) - n., (U.S.) a small wooden vessel or cask for butter, lard, or the like; (UK) a unit of volume or mass of varying capacity, typically around 9 gallons.
Originally, a fourth of a barrel (which were typically around 36 gallons), whence its name -- from Middle English ferken, earlier form ferdekin, from Middle Dutch *vierdekijn, diminutive of vierde, fourth, from vier, four + -ki(j)n. As a container, one key component seems to be that it can be covered, so a bucket with a lid can also be called a firkin.
---L.
Originally, a fourth of a barrel (which were typically around 36 gallons), whence its name -- from Middle English ferken, earlier form ferdekin, from Middle Dutch *vierdekijn, diminutive of vierde, fourth, from vier, four + -ki(j)n. As a container, one key component seems to be that it can be covered, so a bucket with a lid can also be called a firkin.
---L.
