hogshead

Meaning

Noun

• An English measure of capacity for liquids, containing 63 wine gallons, or about imperial gallons; a half pipe.
• A large barrel or cask of indefinite contents, especially one containing from 100 to 140 gallons.

Origin

• From Late Middle English hogshead, hagyshed, hogeyshed, hoggesyde, hokkeshed, Middle English hoggeshed, hogges-hed, hogeshed, hoggeshede, hoggesheed, hoggesheudes, hoggesheved, hoggishede, hoggisheed, hoggyssehed, hogyshed, hoogeshed, from hog, hogge + hed, equivalent to hog + -s-. The connection between the cask and the head of a hog is Unknown, but may refer to the shape of the cask. The word has often been borrowed into other languages as “ox-head”.