keg

American  

[keg] / kɛg /

noun

1. a small cask or barrel, usually holding from 5 to 10 gallons (19 to 38 liters).

2. a unit of weight, equal to 100 pounds (45 kilograms), used for nails.

3. Also kegger. a keg party; beer bust.

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keg British  

/ kɛɡ /

noun

1. a small barrel with a capacity of between five and ten gallons

2. 1. an aluminium container in which beer is transported and stored

   2. Also called: keg beer.  beer kept in a keg: it is infused with gas and served under pressure

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keg Idioms  

1. see sitting on a powder keg.

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Etymology

Origin of keg

1585–95; earlier cag < Old Norse kaggi

Explanation

A keg is a metal container for liquids, especially beer. A keg typically holds less than thirty gallons. Bars and pubs have plenty of kegs, each containing different brands and types of beer, and occasionally they'll also have kegs of root beer or other soft drinks. When a large quantity of carbonated liquid is needed, a keg works well because it keeps its contents under pressure. The original kegs were made of wood, and in addition to beverages, they also held things like gunpowder and nails. Keg comes from the Old Norse kaggi, "cask or keg."

Example Sentences

He has described the record as a "powder keg", as "burning diesel", and even a spicy "jambalaya" – and it's certainly harder and faster than anything the band have released over the past decade.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

This in exchange for quickly ignored sanctions, making Iran the powder keg that it was before Feb. 28.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

It was a powder keg waiting to blow.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Dahlia Lithwick: I find the public-facing discourse around shootings to be impoverished, dangerous, and a powder keg on its own terms.

From Slate • Sep. 12, 2025

I spin around as Baba lunges through the doorway, the water keg and medical pouch in his arms.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

Related Words

• cask