Dictionary

tun en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /tʌn/ (UK)
• /tʊn/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English tunne, tonne (“cask, barrel”), from Old English tunne (“tun, cask, barrel”), from Proto-Germanic *tunnǭ, *tunnō (“tun, barrel, cask”), from Latin tunna, probably of Gaulish origin. Cognate with North Frisian tenn (“tun, barrel, cask”), Dutch ton (“tun, barrel, cask”), German Tonne (“tun, barrel, drum”), Danish tønde (“barrel”), Swedish tunna (“barrel, cask, tun”), Icelandic tunna (“barrel”). Compare also Old French tonne, French tonneau (“ton, barrel”), Medieval Latin tunna (“cask”), Middle Irish tunna (“cask”), Welsh tynell (“tun, barrel”). It is uncertain whether the Germanic or the Celtic forms are the original.

Meanings

1. A large cask; an oblong vessel bulging in the middle, like a pipe or puncheon, and girt with hoops; a wine cask. (See a diagram comparing cask sizes.)
2. A fermenting vat.
3. (historical) A traditional unit of liquid measure (from the volume of such a cask) equal to 252 wine gallons or 2 pipes.
   • Again, by 28 Hen. VIII, cap. 14, it is re-enacted that the tun of wine should contain 252 gallons, a butt of Malmsey 126 gallons, a pipe 126 gallons, a tercian or puncheon 84 gallons, a hogshead 63 gallons, a tierce 41 gallons, a barrel 31.5 gallons, a rundlet 18.5 gallons. 1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, page 205:
4. Synonym of long ton: a unit of mass equal to 2240 pounds, 20 hundredweights of 112 pounds avoirdupois each.
5. (figuratively) Synonym of ton: any extremely or excessively large amount.
   • He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit, / This tun of treasure; and, in lieu of this, / Desires you let the dukedoms that you claim / Hear no more of you. 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
   • A Tun of Man in thy Large bulk is writ, / But sure thou'rt but a Kilderkin of wit. 1682, John Dryden, Mac Flecknoe, lines 195–196:
6. (archaic, derogatory, humorous) Synonym of drunkard: a person who drinks excessively.
7. Any shell belonging to Tonna and allied genera.
8. The cryptobiotic state of a tardigrade, when its metabolism is temporarily suspended.
9. (obsolete, qualifier:Oxford University; Pembroke College; Oxford University; Pembroke College) A small silver cup holding half a pint, sometimes having a whistle in the handle that could not be blown until the cup was empty.
   • So abundant is the supply of tankards and "tuns" […] 1900, Douglas Macleane, Pembroke College, page 249:
10. (UK, dialectal) a chimney.

Forms

Coordinates

rundlet · barrel · butt · tierce · tertian · puncheon · pipe · hogshead

Deriveds

tunful · tun-belly · Heidelberg Tun · mash tun · tundish · tunnage · tunlike

Synonyms

drunkard · long ton · ton

Translations (9)

gl tonel (a large, oblong cask) · es tonel (a large, oblong cask) · pl baryła (a large, oblong cask) · pt tonel (a large, oblong cask) · ru бо́чка (a large, oblong cask) · cs sud (a large, oblong cask) · pl baryłka (a large, oblong cask) · la tunna (a large, oblong cask) · cs káď (a large, oblong cask)

tun en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /tʌn/ (UK)
• /tʊn/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English tunne, tonne (“cask, barrel”), from Old English tunne (“tun, cask, barrel”), from Proto-Germanic *tunnǭ, *tunnō (“tun, barrel, cask”), from Latin tunna, probably of Gaulish origin. Cognate with North Frisian tenn (“tun, barrel, cask”), Dutch ton (“tun, barrel, cask”), German Tonne (“tun, barrel, drum”), Danish tønde (“barrel”), Swedish tunna (“barrel, cask, tun”), Icelandic tunna (“barrel”). Compare also Old French tonne, French tonneau (“ton, barrel”), Medieval Latin tunna (“cask”), Middle Irish tunna (“cask”), Welsh tynell (“tun, barrel”). It is uncertain whether the Germanic or the Celtic forms are the original.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To put into tuns, or casks.
   • Strong beer that is brewed in small quantities, and ale, whatever the quantity may be, should be tunned the second day after brewing; and small beer should be tunned as soon as it has fairly taken the yeast 1843, Mary Holland, The Complete Economical Cook, and Frugal Housewife, 14th edition, page 407:

Forms

tun en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

From Mayan.

Meanings

1. A part of the ancient Maya Long Count Calendar system which corresponds to 18 winal cycles or 360 days.

Forms

Relateds

tun-moot

tun en · NOUN · etymology 3

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay tun.

Meanings

1. (Malaysia) A respectful term of address to royalties and certain award recipients

Forms