Also 4–5 (8) tancard, 5–7 -kerd, 6 -(c)karde, -ckerd, Sc. -kert, 7 (9 Sc.) tanker. [= MDu., Du. tanckaert = kitte, L. obba, cantharus (= sense 2 below), (Kilian); also F. tanquart, pl. tanquars (Rabelais). Ulterior history unknown: ? transposition of *kantar(d, cantharus.]
† 1. A large open tub-like vessel, usually of wood hooped with iron, etc. (sometimes of leather); spec. such a vessel used for carrying water, etc.; often used to render L. amphora. Obs.
1310. Acc. Exors. T. Bp. of Exeter (Camden), 10. De iijs. de xij tancardis ferro ligatis debilibus.
1341–2. Ely Sacr. Rolls (1907), II. 118. In ligatura unius tankard cum ferro.
1352. Acc. Excheq. Q. R. (Bundle 20 No. 27 Publ. Rec. Office). Pro quadam [sic] magno vase … vocato ‘tankard.’
1382. Wyclif, Zech. v. 6. This is an amfer [gloss or a vessel that sum men clepen a tankard] goynge out.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 486/2. Tankard, amphora.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 771/31. Hec amphora, a tancard.
1551–2. Act 5 & 6 Edw. VI., c. 15 § 2. Such as make Males,… Leather Pottes, Tanckardes, Barehides or any other Wares of Leather.
1573–80. Baret, Alv., T 56. A Tankerd of nine gallons, amphora.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xxi. (Roxb.), 253/2. He beareth Vert, a Dary womans Tankerds, or Milk Tankerds, or two Tankerds of Milk.
2. A drinking-vessel, formerly made of wooden staves and hooped; now esp. a tall one-handled jug or mug, usually of pewter, sometimes with a lid: used chiefly for drinking beer.
1485. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 51. Drynkyng bolles of tree … xx, Tankerdes … viij. Ibid. (1495), 260. Tankardes of a galon apece.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, III. viii. 30. A mekle tankert [L. magnum cratera] with wyne fillit to the throt.
1515. Barclay, Egloges, iv. (1570), C vj/1. Talke he of tankarde, or of his boxe of tarre.
1530. Palsgr., 279/1 Tankard a vessell, brocq, pot, broc.
1566. Eng. Ch. Furniture (Peacock), 91. A penny tanckerd of wood.
1601. F. Tate, Househ. Ord. Edw. II., § 47 (1876), 29. Thei shal wash the tankers, cups, and al manner of vessel which thei have custody of.
1710. Hearne, Collect. (O.H.S.), III. 99. Charlett then order’d a Tankard of Ale to be fetch’d.
1819. Wordsw., Waggoner, II. 58. What tankards foaming from the tap. What store of cakes in every lap.
1873. ‘Ouida,’ Pascarèl, I. 53. I have seen a good many of our people with their noses buried in the tankards.
b. transf. in COOL TANKARD, q.v.
3. Applied to a sheep-bell, from its shape. dial.
1880. R. Jefferies, Gt. Estate, vi. 123. ‘It’s Johnson’s flock; I know the tang of his tankards.’ The flat-shaped bells hung on a sheep’s neck are called tankards.
4. attrib. and Comb., as tankard-cup, -lid; tankard-shaped adj.; tankard-turnip, a variety of turnip with a long tuber; † tankard-woman, a female tankard-bearer; † tankard-yeoman = TANKARD-BEARER.
1729. Swift, Direct. Servants, Butler. When any one calls for ale … fill the largest *tancard cup topfull.
1642. Milton, Apol. Smect., Wks. 1851, III. 263. No marvell, if he brought us home nothing but a meer *tankard drollery.
1852. Wiggins, Embanking, 85. Such sluices … have what are called *tankard-lid doors, working on a bar with rounded ends in a cheek, attached to each side of the sea end of the ‘gutter,’ as it is there called.
1796. W. Marshall, Midland Counties, II. Gloss., *Tankard-turnep, the pudding, or longrooted turnep.
1828–32. Webster, Tankard-turnep, a sort of turnep that stands high above the ground.
a. 1667. Cowley, Ess. in Verse & Pr., Of Obscurity. He had taken great pleasure in hearing of a *Tanker-woman [aquam ferens muliercula, Cicero, Tusc., 5. 36. 105] say as he past, This is That Demosthenes.
1553. Becon, Reliques of Rome (1563), 52. That theyr Patrone was some good *tankerd yeoman.
