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":"I1r_WbUrGO1dK_4mv1et5","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"thorpe--jim","entry":"Thorpe, Jim"},{"slug":"thorshavn","entry":"Thorshavn"},{"slug":"thortveitite","entry":"thortveitite"},{"slug":"thorvaldsen","entry":"Thorvaldsen"},{"slug":"those","entry":"those"}],"after":[{"slug":"thot","entry":"thot"},{"slug":"thoth","entry":"Thoth"},{"slug":"thotmes-i","entry":"Thotmes I"},{"slug":"thotmes-ii","entry":"Thotmes II"},{"slug":"thotmes-iii","entry":"Thotmes III"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it"},"requestId":"CN9H7mCaKEV3To6DMZdrh","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it"},"requestId":"VMn7iFRJJd87qfdJu6IGu","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"CulturalEntry","definitions":[{"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"text\", \"text\": \"Studying history is necessary to avoid repeating past mistakes. This saying comes from the writings of George Santayana, a Spanish-born American author of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.\"}]"}],"headword":{"displayForm":"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it","slug":"cannot-remember-the-past-condemned-repeat"},"notes":[]}],"url":"cannot-remember-the-past-condemned-repeat"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it"},"requestId":"88Wmyi9N-VorvfLO3SSuW","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it","displayForm":"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it","canonicalSlug":"those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it","content":[{"source":"cultural","entries":[{"id":"thosewhocann","type":"normal","entry":"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it","entrySyllabified":null,"entryVariants":[],"homograph":0,"pronunciation":null,"predefinitionContent":null,"contentBlocks":[{"title":null,"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":"Studying history is necessary to avoid repeating past mistakes. This saying comes from the writings of George Santayana, a Spanish-born American author of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries."}]}],"supplementaryNotes":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":156592,"index-rank-01":["those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":[],"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":"those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it"},"requestId":"BW2MUV14jQNojvcwIAmN7","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":[],"tuna":["cant","can it","candor","cantor","connote","cannon","canned","canon","canny","can do","can-do","candy","cannoli","canoe","connate","caned","condo","count","gaunt","jaunt","canton","can","cap nut","C and W","c. and w."],"lunaWithSlug":[],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"cant","slug":"cant"},{"displayForm":"can it","slug":"can%20it"},{"displayForm":"candor","slug":"candor"},{"displayForm":"cantor","slug":"cantor"},{"displayForm":"connote","slug":"connote"},{"displayForm":"cannon","slug":"cannon"},{"displayForm":"canned","slug":"canned"},{"displayForm":"canon","slug":"canon"},{"displayForm":"canny","slug":"canny"},{"displayForm":"can do","slug":"can%20do"},{"displayForm":"can-do","slug":"can-do"},{"displayForm":"candy","slug":"candy"},{"displayForm":"cannoli","slug":"cannoli"},{"displayForm":"canoe","slug":"canoe"},{"displayForm":"connate","slug":"connate"},{"displayForm":"caned","slug":"caned"},{"displayForm":"condo","slug":"condo"},{"displayForm":"count","slug":"count"},{"displayForm":"gaunt","slug":"gaunt"},{"displayForm":"jaunt","slug":"jaunt"},{"displayForm":"canton","slug":"canton"},{"displayForm":"can","slug":"can"},{"displayForm":"cap nut","slug":"cap%20nut"},{"displayForm":"C and W","slug":"c%20and%20w"},{"displayForm":"c. and w.","slug":"c.%20and%20w."}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"those-who-cannot-remember-the-past-are-condemned-to-repeat-it"},"requestId":"XCxLzYKba8GQ3kAq-FEn3","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it

Word of the Day