First recorded around 1400–50.
Comes from the late Middle English word ferdkyn or firdekyn.
This is formed from a variant of ferthe, meaning \"fourth,\" and the diminutive suffix -kin.
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF FIRKIN\r\n

The antique store had a collection of quaint firkins on display, each with its own unique design.
After the harvest festival, the townspeople gathered around to share stories over slices of bread from a firkin of butter.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Today’s the last day to submit!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/F01/F0166000.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"noun","data":"a small wooden vessel or tub for butter, lard, etc."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/firkin_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"ztezTbXONyF7w72vqbK4c","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"protoctist","entry":"protoctist"},{"slug":"protoctista","entry":"Protoctista"},{"slug":"protodeacon","entry":"protodeacon"},{"slug":"protoderm","entry":"protoderm"},{"slug":"proto-doric","entry":"proto-Doric"}],"after":[{"slug":"proto-form","entry":"proto-form"},{"slug":"protogalaxy","entry":"protogalaxy"},{"slug":"protogenia","entry":"Protogenia"},{"slug":"protogenic","entry":"protogenic"},{"slug":"protogeometric","entry":"Protogeometric"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"proto-elamite"},"requestId":"QHCP-akRTlpCeq-45-gJQ","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"proto-elamite"},"requestId":"QjDVwYT991dX84NiRASG9","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[{"mpeg":"https://nonprod-audio.dictionary.com/P08/P0860500/P0860500.mp3"}],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"proto-Elamite","slug":"proto-elamite"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"the Indigenous script of Elam, found on inscriptions and tablets from the fourth millennium b.c.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":null,"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":{"pronunciationSetChunk":"{\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e740629.-d42\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e740629.-d41\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02ccpro\\u028a to\\u028a\\u02c8i l\\u0259\\u02ccma\\u026at\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e740629.-d40\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"proh-toh-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"ee\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e740629.-d3e\"}, {\"text\": \"-l\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"uh\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e740629.-d3d\"}, {\"text\": \"-mahyt\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]}"},"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"proto-elamite"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"proto-elamite"},"requestId":"mckWpuTE1nPI-zai9-inU","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"proto-elamite","displayForm":"proto-Elamite","canonicalSlug":"proto-elamite","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e740629.-d46","type":"normal","entry":"proto-Elamite","entrySyllabified":"pro·to-E·lam·ite","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"ipa":"ˌproʊ toʊˈi ləˌmaɪt ","spell":"proh-toh-ee-luh-mahyt ","audio":{"audio/ogg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/lunawav/P08/P0860500.ogg","audio/mpeg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/P08/P0860500.mp3"}},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"the Indigenous script of Elam, found on inscriptions and tablets from the fourth millennium b.c.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":124298,"index-rank-01":["proto-elamite"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["proto-elamite's","proto-elamites","proto-elamites'"],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":["proto elamite","protoelamite"],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"complexityScore":0.33922988108619123,"gradeLevel":"middle_school","tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"proto-elamite"},"requestId":"3K8aDDAXtkeyRlp6l172A","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["proto-","Prato","Prot.","prot-","protei","Perot","Porto","Prout","Pôrto","procto","pronto","proton","PRT","Pareto","Prodi","pretor","protea","roto","Prod","Prut","prat","prod","Provo","promo","provo","Prado","Pratt","prate","pret.","preta","prod.","prodd","proud","pruta","procto-","eroto-"],"tuna":["pronto","prat","prod","promo","prate","proud","proctor","parrot","port","prior to","root","parity","purity","proof","prop","uproot","pot","pro","rot","presto","grotto","pray to","parody","pirate","pretty","prow","rota","rote","plot","prof","prom","pros","trot","photo","wrote","up root","up-root","pro tem","put to","prone to"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"proto-","slug":"proto"},{"displayForm":"Prato","slug":"prato"},{"displayForm":"Prot.","slug":"prot"},{"displayForm":"prot-","slug":"prot"},{"displayForm":"protei","slug":"protei"},{"displayForm":"Perot","slug":" H. Ross"},{"displayForm":"Porto","slug":"porto"},{"displayForm":"Prout","slug":"prout"},{"displayForm":"Pôrto","slug":"porto"},{"displayForm":"procto","slug":"procto"},{"displayForm":"pronto","slug":"pronto"},{"displayForm":"proton","slug":"proton"},{"displayForm":"PRT","slug":"prt"},{"displayForm":"Pareto","slug":"pareto"},{"displayForm":"Prodi","slug":"prodi"},{"displayForm":"pretor","slug":"pretor"},{"displayForm":"protea","slug":"protea"},{"displayForm":"roto","slug":"roto"},{"displayForm":"Prod","slug":"prod"},{"displayForm":"Prut","slug":"prut"},{"displayForm":"prat","slug":"prat"},{"displayForm":"prod","slug":"prod"},{"displayForm":"Provo","slug":"provo"},{"displayForm":"promo","slug":"promo"},{"displayForm":"provo","slug":"provo"},{"displayForm":"Prado","slug":"prado"},{"displayForm":"Pratt","slug":"pratt"},{"displayForm":"prate","slug":"prate"},{"displayForm":"pret.","slug":"pret"},{"displayForm":"preta","slug":"preta"},{"displayForm":"prod.","slug":"prod"},{"displayForm":"prodd","slug":"prodd"},{"displayForm":"proud","slug":"proud"},{"displayForm":"pruta","slug":"pruta"},{"displayForm":"procto-","slug":"procto"},{"displayForm":"eroto-","slug":"eroto-"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"pronto","slug":"pronto"},{"displayForm":"prat","slug":"prat"},{"displayForm":"prod","slug":"prod"},{"displayForm":"promo","slug":"promo"},{"displayForm":"prate","slug":"prate"},{"displayForm":"proud","slug":"proud"},{"displayForm":"proctor","slug":"proctor"},{"displayForm":"parrot","slug":"parrot"},{"displayForm":"port","slug":"port"},{"displayForm":"prior to","slug":"prior%20to"},{"displayForm":"root","slug":"root"},{"displayForm":"parity","slug":"parity"},{"displayForm":"purity","slug":"purity"},{"displayForm":"proof","slug":"proof"},{"displayForm":"prop","slug":"prop"},{"displayForm":"uproot","slug":"uproot"},{"displayForm":"pot","slug":"pot"},{"displayForm":"pro","slug":"pro"},{"displayForm":"rot","slug":"rot"},{"displayForm":"presto","slug":"presto"},{"displayForm":"grotto","slug":"grotto"},{"displayForm":"pray to","slug":"pray%20to"},{"displayForm":"parody","slug":"parody"},{"displayForm":"pirate","slug":"pirate"},{"displayForm":"pretty","slug":"pretty"},{"displayForm":"prow","slug":"prow"},{"displayForm":"rota","slug":"rota"},{"displayForm":"rote","slug":"rote"},{"displayForm":"plot","slug":"plot"},{"displayForm":"prof","slug":"prof"},{"displayForm":"prom","slug":"prom"},{"displayForm":"pros","slug":"pros"},{"displayForm":"trot","slug":"trot"},{"displayForm":"photo","slug":"photo"},{"displayForm":"wrote","slug":"wrote"},{"displayForm":"up root","slug":"up%20root"},{"displayForm":"up-root","slug":"up-root"},{"displayForm":"pro tem","slug":"pro%20tem"},{"displayForm":"put to","slug":"put%20to"},{"displayForm":"prone to","slug":"prone%20to"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"proto-elamite"},"requestId":"gMe5qhrNi7kCD9LA07wWM","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

proto-Elamite

noun

Word of the Day