tankard

American  

[tang-kerd] / ˈtæŋ kərd /

noun

1. a large drinking cup, usually with a handle and a hinged cover.

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tankard British  

/ ˈtæŋkəd /

noun

1. 1. a large one-handled drinking vessel, commonly made of silver, pewter, or glass, sometimes fitted with a hinged lid

   2. the quantity contained in a tankard

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Etymology

Origin of tankard

1275–1325; Middle English: bucket; compare Middle Dutch tanckaert, Middle French tanquart

Explanation

A tankard is a large, heavy cup with a handle. You might swig root beer from a pewter tankard at a Renaissance festival. Tankards are old fashioned mugs, rarely used today except as a novelty. Though they're almost always made of metal, occasionally tankards are wooden or ceramic. You might win an engraved silver-plated tankard as an award, or spy tankards in a movie during a rowdy pub scene. The word was first used in the 14th century, but it originally meant "large, tub-like vessel."

Example Sentences

Or there was the equally spectacular, recently rediscovered 1697 silver tankard by the Transylvanian goldsmith Sebastian Hann the Elder that in the 1910s had been in the collection of Baroness Betty de Rothschild.

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2022

The blue and white cans match NATO’s colour scheme and show a knight holding up a foaming tankard of beer, with the alliance’s logo stamped on his armour.

From Reuters • May 20, 2022

This summer, “Game of Thrones” fans will be able to dress up as their favorite characters, sit on a replica of the Iron Throne and swill a scotch-and-sherry cocktail from a horn-shaped tankard.

From Washington Post • Jun. 6, 2017

Some graffiti found on a bowl and a tankard suggests that his name might have been Ny Cop or Ny Coep.

From BBC • May 30, 2013

“What’s he done?” said Harry nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling