Forms: 6 keare, keyre, 7 keere, 9 keir, kier. [Known only from second half of 16th c.: cf. ON. ker vessel, tub (Norw. kjer, Sw., Da. kar) = OHG. char, Goth. kas.] † a. A brewing-vat (also boiling-, brewing-, gyle-, gylingkier). Obs. b. A large vat in which cloth is boiled for bleaching or other purposes (bleaching-kier).

1

1573.  Lanc. & Chesh. Wills (Chetham, 1884), 64. One brewinge keare, and a troghe for ye same ijs. A yailinge keare xijd. Ibid. (1579), (Chetham, 1861), 101. Six great vessels of tymber called keares wth other ffurnyture for the brewehouse and backehouse.

2

1582.  Lanc. Wills (1857), I. 132. Dyverse stone trowes keyres and arkes.

3

1635.  Brereton, Trav. (Chetham), 104. I took notice of that common brew-house … and observed there … boiling keeres.

4

[c. 1746, 1775:  see GYLEKER.]

5

1839.  Ure, Dict. Arts, 138. The wooden kieve, or kier, containing the cloth.

6

1879.  Spon’s Encycl. Indust. Arts, I. 515. For yarn and thread, it is very usual to have the false bottom of the bleaching kier, or pot, movable.

7

1883.  Manch. Exam., 30 Oct., 7/2. This kier … was used for boiling … cotton flock and other substances used in paper-making.

8

  Hence Kierful.

9

1879.  Spon’s Encycl. Indust. Arts, I. 515. A whole kierful of yarn or thread is chemicked at once.

10

1884.  Times, 15 April, 8/4. A large kierful of cloth of about 30 cwt.

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