tun

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(tŭn) pronunciation
n.
  1. A large cask for liquids, especially wine.
  2. A measure of liquid capacity, especially one equivalent to approximately 252 gallons (954 liters).

[Middle English, from Old English tunne, possibly of Celtic origin.]



sometimes its derivative ton

A very large bulk-measure cask, with established volumes and quantities for various liquids and other commodities in historic marketplaces, typically weighing about a ton.
[Connor R. D. The Weights and Measures of England (London: HMSO, 1987)]

volume BI 210 BI gal (954.68~ L, 252.20~ US gal); see Table 57(a).

Table 57(a)
UK, US-CUS-C:SIUS-C liq
firkin* of ale59.7~ L15.8~ gal
2kilderkin59.7~ L15.8~ gal
42barrel119.~ L31.5~ gal
842hogshead239.~ L63.0~ gal
16842pipe, butt477.~ L126.~ gal
3216842tun954.~ L252.~ gal
* a firkin of ale or beer; see Table 57(b) for firkin of wine.


US-C 252 US gal (953.92~ L, 209.83~ BI gal); see Table 57(b).Table 57(b)
UK, US-CUS-C:SIUS-C liq
rundlet68.2~ L18.0~ gal
tierce159.~ L42.0~ gal
2firkin,* puncheon,tertian318.~ L84.1~ gal
736pipe477.~ L126.~ gal
14632tun954.~ L252.~ gal
* a firkin of wine; see Table 57(a) for firkin of ale or beer.

History

Originally 256 gallons, so utterly compatible with the regular binary structure still persisting for smaller volume units, the tun was specified as 252 (wine) gallons in an English statute of 1425, i.e. as in the USA today. The BI system, introduced in 1825, merely changed the number to compensate for its larger gallon.
[Connor R. D. The Weights and Measures of England (London: HMSO, 1987)]

Obsolete measure; a large cask holding 216 imperial gallons (972 litres) of ale; 252 gallons (1134 litres) of wine.


[De]

Unit equal to 365 solar days used in the Classic Maya long count system.

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'tun'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to tun, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Tun.
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - tønde, fad
v. tr. - fylde på tønder

Nederlands (Dutch)
vat

Français (French)
n. - fût
v. tr. - mettre en fût

Deutsch (German)
n. - Faß, Tonne
v. - in Fässern lagern

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - βυτίο, βαρέλι
v. - βάζω σε βαρέλι

Italiano (Italian)
botte, tino

Português (Portuguese)
n. - tonel (m), grande pipa de vinho, cerveja (f)
v. - guardar ou armazenar em tonel

Русский (Russian)
большая бочка, мера емкости

Español (Spanish)
n. - tonel grande, tina, cuba de fermentación
v. tr. - entonelar, encubar, llenar un tonel, envasar, beber

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - tunna, fat, jäskar, mäskkar
v. - tappa på fat

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
大桶, 大酒桶, 装入大桶

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 大桶, 大酒桶
v. tr. - 裝入大桶

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 큰 통, 발효통
v. tr. - (술 등을) 통에 넣다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 大酒樽, タン
v. - 樽に入れる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) برميل للخمر (فعل) يخزن بالبرميل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חבית גדולה, מיכל גדול לתסיסת בירה, טן (מידת-נוזלים - 252 גלונים אמריקניים)‬
v. tr. - ‮אחסן (יין וכו') בחבית גדולה‬


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Tun. (abbreviation)