HOGSHEAD  , a cask for holding liquor or other commodities, such as

tobacco, sugar, molasses, &c.; also a liquid measure of capacity, varying with the contents . As a measure for beer, cider, &c., it equals 54 gallons . A statute of Richard III . (1483) fixed the hogshead of wine at 63 wine-gallons, i.e . 521 imperial gallons . The etymology of the word has been much discussed . According to Skeat, the origin is to be found in the name for a cask or liquid measure appearing in various forms in several Teutonic languages, in Dutch oxhooft (modern okshoofd), Dan. oxehoved, O . Swed. oxhufvod, &c . The word should therefore be " oxhead," and " hogshead " is a mere corruption . It has been suggested that the name arose from the branding of such a measure with the head of an ox (see Notes and Queries, series iv . 2, 46, note by H . Tiedeman) .

The New

English Dictionary does not attempt any explanation of the term, and takes " hogshead " as the original form, from which the forms in other languages have been corrupted . The earlier Dutch forms hukeshovet and hoekshoot are nearer to the English form, and, further, the Dutch for " ox " is os .