Butt (unit)
The butt is an obsolete English measure of liquid volume equalling two hogsheads, being between 450 and 1,060 litres (99 and 233 imp gal; 120 and 280 US gal) by various definitions.[1]
Equivalents
[edit]A butt approximately equated to 108 imperial gallons (130 US gallons; 491 litres) for ale or 105 imperial gallons (126 US gallons; 477 litres) for wine (also known as a pipe), although the Oxford English Dictionary notes that "these standards were not always precisely adhered to".[1][2]
On one etymological theory, the word buttload originated from a load of liquid one butt in size, later becoming a more generic slang term meaning "a lot."[3]
The butt is one in a series of English wine cask units, being half of a tun.[citation needed]
| gallon | rundlet | barrel | tierce | hogshead | puncheon, tertian | pipe, butt | tun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tun | |||||||
| 1 | 2 | pipes, butts | ||||||
| 1 | 1+1⁄2 | 3 | puncheons, tertians | |||||
| 1 | 1+1⁄3 | 2 | 4 | hogsheads | ||||
| 1 | 1+1⁄2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | tierces | |||
| 1 | 1+1⁄3 | 2 | 2+2⁄3 | 4 | 8 | barrels | ||
| 1 | 1+3⁄4 | 2+1⁄3 | 3+1⁄2 | 4+2⁄3 | 7 | 14 | rundlets | |
| 1 | 18 | 31+1⁄2 | 42 | 63 | 84 | 126 | 252 | gallons (wine) |
| 3.785 | 68.14 | 119.24 | 158.99 | 238.48 | 317.97 | 476.96 | 953.92 | litres |
| 1 | 15 | 26+1⁄4 | 35 | 52+1⁄2 | 70 | 105 | 210 | gallons (imperial) |
| 4.546 | 68.19 | 119.3 | 159.1 | 238.7 | 318.2 | 477.3 | 954.7 | litres |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "butt, n.4 meanings, etymology and more". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ↑ Ciphering (1833). Ciphering made easy, or, An attempt to render simple and interesting the first four rules of arithmetic. p. 84. ISBN 978-0559229732. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ↑ "How Much is a Buttload of Wine?". EverWonderWine?. 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
- ↑ "wine barrel". Sizes. 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
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