Also 8 karboy. [Evidently a corruption of Pers. qarābah, qarrābah, ‘a large flagon’ (for wine, rose-water, etc.): see the quots. Kaempfer (loc. cit.) ‘gives an exact etching of a carboy’ (Yule).]
A large globular bottle of green or blue glass, covered with basket-work for protection, used chiefly for holding acids and other corrosive liquids.
[1712. Kaempfer, Amœn. Exot., 379 (Y.). [Referring to the wine trade of Shiraz] Vasa vitrea, alia sunt majora, ampullacea et circumducto scirpo tunicata, quae vocant Karabà … Venit Karaba una apud vitriarios duobus mamudi, raro carius.]
1753. Hanway, Trav., I. 154. I delivered a present … of oranges and lemons … and 6 Karboys of Ispahan wine.
1800. Symes, Emb. to Ava, 488 (Y.). Six corabahs of rose-water.
1813. Milbourne, Orient. Comm., II. 330 (Y.). Carboy of Rose-water.
1838. Poe, A. G. Pym, Wks. 1864, IV. 106. A carboy containing nearly three gallons of excellent Cape Madeira wine.
1883. Times, 7 April, 7/4. One of the carboys found … contained … nitro-glycerine.
Hence Carboyed ppl. a., put into a carboy.
1855. Fraser’s Mag., LI. 536. Shrimps and anemones live in water carboyed many miles off shore.
