firkin

English Wikipedia has an article on:

firkin

Wikipedia

From Middle Dutch *vierdekijn, diminutive of vierde (“fourth”),^[1] from vier (“four”); equivalent to fourth +‎ -kin.

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈfɝkɪn/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɜːkɪn/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)kɪn

firkin (plural firkins)

1. (British) A varying measure of capacity, usually being a quarter of a barrel; specifically, a measure equal to nine imperial gallons.
   • 1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, volume 4, page 205:

     23 Hen. VIII, cap. 4... The barrel of beer is to hold 36 gallons, the kilderkin 18 gallons the firkin 9. But the barrel, kilderkin, and firkin of ale are to contain 32, 16, and 8 gallons.

   • 1922, E R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros‎, London: Jonathan Cape, page 31:

     But for his other guests he let bear in the massy cups of silver, and the great eared wine jars holding two firkins apiece, and he let pour forth to the Witches and the Foliots, and they drank the cup of memory unto King Gorice XI., slain that day by the hand of Goldry Bluszco.

   • 1987, Keith Dunstan, The Amber Nectar, Ringwood: Vicking O'Neil, page 81:

     Barrels came in firkins, nine gallons; kilderkins, eighteen gallons; halves, twenty-seven gallons; barrels, thirty-six gallons and hogsheads, fifty-four.

2. (US) A small wooden vessel or cask of indeterminate size, used for butter, lard, etc.
3. A measurement for the mass of butter, equalling 56 pounds.

• Rifkin