Afirkin is a unit ofvolume ormass used in several situations. Its etymology is likely to be from the Middle Englishferdekyn, 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]
A firkin was an American unit ofdry measure.
1 firkin = 9 USgallons = 34litres[3]
American naturalistJohn Burroughs (1837–1921) in his boyhood memoir described a firkin as weighing 100 pounds when loaded with salted butter.[4]
A firkin was aBritish unit for the sale ofbutter andcheese.[5][6]
1 firkin = 56pounds = 25kilograms
A firkin was also a British unit for the sale ofbeer. It is one quarter of abarrel 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 = 41litres
A wine firkin was much larger: 1 wine firkin = 70 imperial gallons.[8]
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.
