? Obs. Forms: 6 cagge, 7–8 cagg, 5, 7 kag, 7– cag. [Identical with ON. kaggi, Sw. kagge ‘keg, cask.’ From the fact that ships, or boats, and casks, or tubs, often go by the same name, some propose to identify these words with Du. kaag fishing-boat (see sense 2), early mod.Du. kaghe, LG. kag, with which Franck compares Rhenish kac (? from kag), found already in the 14th c. Cf. also F. cague fishing-boat (from Du.), and caque a herring-barrel. But of the origin and history of the word-group or groups, nothing certain is known. Now corrupted to KEG: cf. the Cockney keb, ketch for cab, catch.]
1. A small cask, a KEG. ? Obs.
1452. Inv., in Test. Ebor., III. 136. j saltkag lignei xd.
1596. Wills & Inv. N. C. (1860), II. 263. Iij cagges of strudgshon … ij cagges of eaylles.
1611. Cotgr., Encacquer, to put into a little barrell, or cag. Encacqué … incagged; put into a cag.
a. 1689. Mrs. Behn, Widdow Ranter, III. i. (1690), 28. My wife invited some Neighbours wives to drink a Cagg of Syder.
1704. Worlidge, Dict. Rust. et Urb., Cagg or Keg; this in respect of Sturgeon is 4 to 5 gallon.
1785. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Lousiad, II. Wks. I. 246. A brandy cag.
1797. Prisc. Wakefield, Mental Improv. (1800), 25. Vast quantities are salted or pickled, and put up in cags.
† 2. A small fishing-vessel. (Du. kaag.) Obs.
1666. Lond. Gaz., No. 113/3. Several Caggs from Holland, were … suffered … to pass. Ibid. (1667), 179/2. Privateers … have … taken 8 Kags or small ships near Wangerold.
