/
ˈfəːkɪn/
n.
chiefly historical - a small cask used chiefly for liquids, butter, or fish.
- a unit of liquid volume equal to half a kilderkin (usually 9 imperial gallons or about 41 litres).
Etymology
ME ferdekyn, prob. from the MDu. dimin. of vierde ‘fourth’ (a firkin orig. contained a quarter of a barrel).