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":"dbrErjCTt0J-TparBazDm","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"burton","entry":"burton"},{"slug":"burton-upon-trent","entry":"Burton-upon-Trent"},{"slug":"buru","entry":"Buru"},{"slug":"burundi","entry":"Burundi"},{"slug":"burundian","entry":"Burundian"}],"after":[{"slug":"burweed","entry":"burweed"},{"slug":"bury","entry":"bury"},{"slug":"buryat","entry":"Buryat"},{"slug":"buryat-republic","entry":"Buryat Republic"},{"slug":"burying-beetle","entry":"burying beetle"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"burushaski"},"requestId":"1gaBh5pBCrfWczffCFecQ","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"burushaski"},"requestId":"cGqA0ftofXFfsUwRl84--","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[{"mpeg":"https://nonprod-audio.dictionary.com/B07/B0721100/B0721100.mp3"}],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"Burushaski","slug":"burushaski"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"a language of NW Kashmir, not known to be related to any other language.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":null,"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":{"pronunciationSetChunk":"{\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5ea03a.7571\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5ea03a.7572\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02ccb\\u028a\\u0259r \\u0259\\u02c8\\u0283\\u0251 ski\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5ea03a.7573\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"b\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"oo\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5ea03a.7575\"}, {\"text\": \"r-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"uh\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5ea03a.7576\"}, {\"text\": \"-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"shah\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5ea03a.7577\"}, {\"text\": \"-skee\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]}"},"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"burushaski"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"burushaski"},"requestId":"3fZPdqvUvU5dLJ0C1fse_","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"burushaski","displayForm":"Burushaski","canonicalSlug":"burushaski","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5ea03a.756d","type":"normal","entry":"Burushaski","entrySyllabified":"Bu·ru·sha·ski","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"ipa":"ˌbʊər əˈʃɑ ski ","spell":"boor-uh-shah-skee ","audio":{"audio/ogg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/lunawav/B07/B0721100.ogg","audio/mpeg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/B07/B0721100.mp3"}},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"a language of NW Kashmir, not known to be related to any other language.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":22778,"index-rank-01":["burushaski"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["burushaski's","burushaskis","burushaskis'"],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":[],"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":[],"tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"burushaski"},"requestId":"jJZr4CZKjfwz6G41RU-DF","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["Burushaski","brushback","brushmark","brush aside","brushwork","brewski","baresark"],"tuna":["brush aside","brashes","brewski","brushes off","brusque"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"Burushaski","slug":"burushaski"},{"displayForm":"brushback","slug":"brushback"},{"displayForm":"brushmark","slug":"brushmark"},{"displayForm":"brush aside","slug":"brush--aside"},{"displayForm":"brushwork","slug":"brushwork"},{"displayForm":"brewski","slug":"brewski"},{"displayForm":"baresark","slug":"baresark"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"brush aside","slug":"brush%20aside"},{"displayForm":"brashes","slug":"brashes"},{"displayForm":"brewski","slug":"brewski"},{"displayForm":"brushes off","slug":"brushes%20off"},{"displayForm":"brusque","slug":"brusque"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"burushaski"},"requestId":"Ofmbrar6jZTFBngq1IsIQ","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Burushaski

noun

Word of the Day