hogshead

noun

hogs·​head ˈhȯgz-ˌhed How to pronounce hogshead (audio)
ˈhägz-
1
: a large cask or barrel
2
: any of various units of capacity
especially : a U.S. unit equal to 63 gallons (238 liters)

Examples of hogshead in a Sentence

the ship's hold carried 164 hogsheads of molasses
Recent Examples on the Web This new 15-year-old single malt is a limited-edition expression that was initially aged in hogsheads for 13 years before being finished in barrels used to age reposado and añejo tequila for a final two years. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 Jan. 2024 The 71 bottles of this extraordinary whisky come from a single European hogshead cask, selected together by Stewart and McKechnie. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 30 Nov. 2023 The molasses boiled on the islands traveled north in barrels or hogsheads, was unloaded in Brooklyn, and processed by workers in conditions barely more humane than those on the plantations. Curbed, 27 Sep. 2023 This new whisky was distilled in 1968, as mentioned before, and was originally put into four refill sherry butts and six hogsheads. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2023 The Whisky Baron coaxed 134 cask strength bottles of whisky from an ex-Bourbon hogshead of made at this in-demand Islay distillery. Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2022 To that end, Welsh and his team selected whisky aged for 52 years in just two casks, a sherry butt and American oak ex-bourbon hogshead, which were married together in equal proportions. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 June 2022 An enormous shift from the costly and exhausting process of rolling hogshead barrels by land over bumpy roads behind oxen, bateaux would help open the Virginia frontier and fill the pockets of the farmers who stocked them. Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2022 Description: This is a very affordable 6 year old single Oloroso hogshead cask from Tullibardine, released by independent bottler The Single Cask. Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hogshead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hogshead was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near hogshead

Cite this Entry

“Hogshead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hogshead. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hogshead

noun
hogs·​head ˈhȯgz-ˌhed How to pronounce hogshead (audio)
ˈhägz-
1
: a large cask or barrel
2
: any of various units of capacity
especially : a U.S. unit for liquids equal to 63 gallons (about 238 liters)

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