hogshead

hogshead — noun

1. a very large wooden barrel, traditionally used for storing and transporting liqu

1.nounC2
Definition

a very large wooden barrel, traditionally used for storing and transporting liquids such as wine, beer, cider, or tobacco, holding between 60 and 65 imperial gallons.

Example

The cooper carefully fitted new iron bands around the hogshead before filling it with cider.

collocation: hogshead of [beverage]

Each hogshead of rum was rolled down the wooden ramp into the ship's cargo hold.

Common collocations
  • hogshead of [liquid]
  • fill a hogshead
  • empty hogshead
  • hogshead of wine
  • hogshead of beer
Synonyms
  • barrel

    a general term; a hogshead is larger than a standard barrel

  • cask

    a more general word for any wooden container for liquids

  • tun

    an even larger cask, equal to two hogsheads

Grammar Patterns

a hogshead of [liquid]

Usage Note

Distinct from sense 2 (UNIT OF VOLUME): sense 1 names the physical container made of wooden staves and iron hoops. The word is largely historical today, though still used in the wine and spirits trade, especially in the UK.

Common Mistakes

He bought a hogshead of soda.
He bought a hogshead of ale.
Hogsheads were used for alcoholic beverages or tobacco, not soft drinks.

2. a unit of liquid volume used especially for alcoholic drinks, equal to 52.5 impe

2.nounC2
Definition

a unit of liquid volume used especially for alcoholic drinks, equal to 52.5 imperial gallons (about 239 litres) in Britain or 63 US gallons (about 238 litres) in the United States.

Example

The tax records showed the estate produced forty-two hogsheads of ale last autumn.

pattern: [number] hogsheads of [beverage]

A single hogshead of port wine holds about two hundred and forty litres.

typical: defining measure in litres

Common collocations
  • hogshead of [drink]
  • two hogsheads
  • British hogshead
  • US hogshead
Synonyms
  • barrel

    sometimes used interchangeably for oil, but a barrel (42 US gal) is smaller than a hogshead (63 US gal)

  • tun

    a larger unit equal to two hogsheads or 252 gallons

Grammar Patterns

[number] hogsheads of [liquid]

Usage Note

Measures volume, not a specific container. The exact number of litres varies by country and by the liquid being measured. A British hogshead is 52.5 imperial gallons; an American hogshead is 63 US gallons.

Common Mistakes

The hogshead weighs twenty kilograms.
The hogshead holds about fifty gallons.
A hogshead is a unit of volume (capacity), not weight.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A barrel is the most general term for a cylindrical wooden container, but a hogshead is noticeably larger — typically holding 50–65 gallons compared to a standard barrel's 31–42 gallons. A cask is any wooden container for maturing liquids, especially wine or spirits, and can range from small (5 litres) to enormous; a hogshead is always on the large end of the cask size range. A tun is even larger than a hogshead — one tun equals two hogsheads or about 252 gallons, making it a massive container. A keg is much smaller (5–15 gallons) and is used for serving beer, not for long-term storage. For example: 'The brewery ordered a hogshead of ale for the harvest festival, a barrel of porter for the pub, and a keg of lager for the garden party.'

barrel ↗cask ↗tun ↗keg ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • fill a hogshead
  • age in a hogshead
  • measure in hogsheads

Prepositions

Etymology

Dutch (possibly)English

The word 'hogshead' first appeared in English in the 1300s. Its origin is uncertain, though the most popular theory is that it was meant as a joke — the head of a hog looked roughly the same size as the large barrel. Another idea connects it to the old Dutch word 'oxhooft' (ox-head), which also referred to a large cask. The spelling 'hogshead' became standard by the 1500s, even though the container was never actually made from a pig's head.