tun

views updated May 29 2018

tun / tən/ • n. 1. a large beer or wine cask. ∎  a brewer's fermenting vat. 2. an imperial measure of capacity, equal to 4 hogsheads. 3. (also tun shell) a large marine mollusk (family Tonnidae) that has a rounded barrellike shell with broad spirals.• v. (tunned, tunning) [tr.] archaic store (wine or other alcoholic drinks) in a tun.

tun

views updated May 17 2018

tun large cask OE.; † tub, vat, etc. XIII; measure of wine, etc. equiv. to 4 hogsheads XV. OE. tunne corr. to MLG., MDu. tunne, tonne (Du. ton), OHG. tunna (G. tonne), late ON. tunna — medL. tunna, prob. of Gaul. orig.

Tun

views updated Jun 27 2018

Tun

a large quantityJohnson, 1755.

Examples : tun of bliss, 1603; of gold, 1603; of gracious health, 1447.

tun

views updated May 23 2018

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

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