Also 6–7 caske. [app. a. F. casque masc. ‘the head-peece tearmed a caske’ (Cotgr.), ad. Sp. casco ‘a caske or burganet, also a head, a pate, a skonce, an earthen pot, sheard or galley cup’ (Minsheu), which Diez thinks derived from cascar to break into pieces, with the original sense of ‘something broken, sherd.’ The meaning ‘head-piece, burgonet’ coincides with sense 4 (in later times also spelt casque, as in French); but sense 1 appears only in Eng., and its origin is not clear. Cf. also CASKET.]
1. The general term for a wooden vessel of a cylindrical form, usually bulging in the middle, and of greater length than breadth, formed of curved staves bound together by hoops, with flat ends or ‘heads’; a barrel. Cf. BARREL sb. 1.
[1526–56. cited in Rogers, Agric. & Prices, III. 167/1. 574/4.
1548. wcited from Procl. Edw. VI., in Strype, Eccl. Mem., II. 193.]
1557. Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 153. New wine will search to finde a vent, Although the caske be neuer so strong.
1633. T. James, Voy., 80. With our Caske to Buoy her off.
1660. S. Fisher, Rusticks Alarm, Wks. (1679), 583. Empty Casks, that ever sound the loudest among their shallow Waters.
1708. J. Philips, Cyder, II. 68 (R.). Entertain’d With Foreign Vintage from his Cyder-Cask.
1816. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 824. This cask must have a bung about an inch and a half from the bottom.
1853. Sir H. Douglas, Mil. Bridges, 246. Let the bung diameter of a cask be 34 inches, its head diameter 27 inches, and its length 50 inches.
† b. collect. Casks collectively; ‘the commodity or provision of casks’ (J.). Obs.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 300 (R.). Because we be not sure what timber they shall find there to make caske, we have laden in these ships 140 tunnes emptie caske, that is 94 tunnes shaken caske, and 46 tunnes whole.
1695. Lond. Gaz., No. 3109/3. Having thrown over-board her Boat, Guns, and several Cask.
1745. P. Thomas, Jrnl. Anson’s Voy., 28. We righted her by shifting some of our full Cask and Iron Ballast.
c. A cask and its contents; hence as a measure of capacity, varying according to place, time and commodity.
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., A cask of almonds is about three hundred weight.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, I. (1749), 117. To broach his mellow Cask.
1752. Hume, Ess. & Treat. (1777), I. 228. Negroes … sell … their wives and mistresses, for a cask of brandy.
1863. Morton, Cycl. Agric. (E. D. S.), Cask of cider, usually 110 gallons.
1887. Whitaker’s Almanack, 408/1. For the year 1885 [British Guiana exported] molasses, 10,349 casks.
2. fig.
1598. E. Gilpin, Skial. (1878), 45. Philosophy Hauing so well fore-season’d thy minds caske.
c. 1600[?]. Distracted Emp., IV. iii. in Bullen, O. Pl. (1884), III. 237. A verye windye caske of emptynes.
1857. Heavysege, Saul (1869), 216. Ye binding hoops that bind the cask o’ the soul.
† 3. a. = CASKET. b. Case, shell. Obs.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. ii. 409. A Iewell lockt into the wofullst Caske, That euer did containe a thing of worth, Euen as a splitted Barke, so sunder we.
1646. R. Baillie, Anabapt. (1647), 150. Not denying the shell and the cask to them who enjoy the kirnell and the pearl.
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler, 27. It is no little labour to be continually putting up English-women into Out-landish caskes [= garments].
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, I. iv. 10. Wax, the cask of honey.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. xxiv. 296. The Fibres of the Cask that environs the Nut.
† 4. A head-piece or helmet: = CASQUE. Obs.
1580. Sidney, Arcadia, II. 325. A strong caske … with which he covered his head.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, V. ii. 142. A strong cask with his open visier.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., V. ii. 169. Were it a Caske compos’d by Vulcans skill, My Sword should bite it.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Hist. Jas. V., Wks. (1711), 105. Their casks, corslets, and vantbraces.
1696. [see CASQUE].
1776. Pall Mall Gaz., 26 Aug. (1870), 4/1. The infantry should have casks and cuirasses made of strong leather.
† b. as a type of military life or authority.
1607. Shaks., Cor., IV. vii. 43. Nature … not moouing From th’ Caske to th’ Cushion.
5. attrib. and Comb., as cask-maker; cask-like adj.
1598. E. Gilpin, Skial. (1878), 64. Empty caske like minds.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. xvii. 209. Old cask-staves.
1886. Pall Mall Gaz., 21 Sept., 2/1. Each of these casks is worth 8s. more than the ordinary cask butter from Cork market.
