tankard

American  

[tang-kerd] / ˈtæŋ kərd /

noun

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

---

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

---

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

Mr Tankard is a council member for the village of Leavesden, Hertfordshire, home to Warner Brothers Studios and its Studio Tour London, which includes the The Making of Harry Potter.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2024

While Jeremy Tankard is well known for his “Grumpy Bird” picture book series, this is his first book of sequential art, an adjacent but very different medium.

From New York Times • Aug. 15, 2020

Also opening nearby is the seafood restaurant Tankard & Tun, above The Pike Pub, from the couple behind The Pike Brewing Company.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 31, 2017

And since Klopp has compared his style to footballing heavy metal, couldn’t the DJ have found some Scorpions or Helloween or Tankard or something?

From The Guardian • Oct. 22, 2015

"Will he be to-night at the Foaming Tankard?"

From The Beauty Of The Village by Mitford, Mary Russell