A "hogshead" is a cask or barrel whose volume is equivalent to an archaic measure of liquid that dates back to the 14th century. Its name was presumably derived from a perceived resemblance of the barrel to either a hog or its head. A 1423 statute defined a hogshead as 63 gallons, though the word was later used for barrels that held anywhere from 100 to 140 gallons of liquid. In other Germanic languages such as Dutch, German and Swedish, the word became "ox-head."
Instructions
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1
Use "hogshead" as a synonym for "barrel," as in "An antique hogshead can make an attractive and unique end table."
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2
Refer to the old measure of 63 gallons as a hogshead. For example, "Wine used to be sold by the hogshead and transported in barrels instead of bottles."
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3
Employ the term "hogshead" to refer to any modern barrel measurement, as in, "There were 20 hogsheads of molasses piled on the back of the truck, and all of them broke open in the accident."