A firkin is a unit of volume or mass used in several situations. Its etymology is likely to be from the Middle English ferdekyn, probably from the Middle Dutch diminutive of vierde 'fourth' (a firkin originally contained a quarter of a barrel). Firkin also describes a small wooden cask or tub for butter, lard, liquids, or fish.[1][2]

American unit of dry volume

A firkin was an American unit of dry measure.

1 firkin = 9 US gallons = 34 litres[3]

American naturalist John Burroughs (1837-1921) in his boyhood memoir described a firkin as weighing 100 pounds when loaded with salted butter.[4]

British unit for butter and cheese

A firkin was a British unit for the sale of butter and cheese.[5][6]

1 firkin = 56 pounds = 25 kilograms

British unit of volume for beer and wine

Main article: English brewery cask units § Firkin

A firkin was also a British unit for the sale of beer. It is one quarter of a barrel and its value depends on the current size of a barrel, but at present:[7]

1 firkin = 0.25 barrel = 9 imperial gallons = 10.8 U.S. gallons = 41 litres

A wine firkin was much larger: 1 wine firkin = 70 imperial gallons.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Definition of firkin". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  2. ^ "firkin". Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  3. ^ François Cardarelli (2003). Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures. Their SI Equivalences and Origins. London: Springer. pp. 44. ISBN 978-1-44-711122-1.
  4. ^ John Burroughs (1922). My Boyhood. Doubleday, Page & Co. pp. 17–22. The packing into one-hundred-pound firkins to be held over till November did not begin till the cows were turned out to pasture in May. ..the naked firkin of butter, sweating drops of salt water.
  5. ^ Robinson, William (1825). The Magistrate's Pocket-book, Or, An Epitome of the Duties and Practice of a Justice of the Peace. C. Hunter. p. 50. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  6. ^ Crabb, George (1841). A Digest and Index with Chronological Tables of All the Statutes: From Magna Charta to the End of this Last. A. Maxwell & son. p. 231. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  7. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement". Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Conversion Center". Retrieved 26 November 2019.
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