tun
C1Technical / Historical / Literary
Definition
Meaning
A large barrel or cask, used especially for brewing, storing wine, or other liquids.
A unit of capacity for wine or beer, historically variable but often around 252 gallons. More broadly, any very large vessel for holding liquids.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is archaic in everyday modern English but remains in specialized use within brewing, winemaking, and historical contexts. It is a hypernym for large casks.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the word in the same technical/archaic contexts. No significant variation in meaning.
Connotations
Connotes tradition, antiquity, or large-scale production of alcohol. Neutral within its specialized fields.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general language. Slightly more likely to be encountered in UK texts due to historical brewing terminology.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
a tun of [liquid, e.g., wine, ale]to fill/empty the tunto brew in a tunVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To drink a tun (archaic/hyperbolic): to drink an enormous amount.”
- “As full as a tun: completely full.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in the business of brewing or winemaking to refer to specific large storage vessels.
Academic
Appears in historical texts, economic history (e.g., 'a tun of wine as a tax measure'), and literature.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Standard term in brewing for a fermentation vessel (e.g., 'mash tun', 'lauter tun').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The brewery will tun the new ale next week.
- They used to tun the mead in October.
American English
- The winery tuns the fermenting juice in these oak vessels.
- They tanned and tanned the hides, and tanned the ale.
adjective
British English
- The tun room was cold and damp.
- They measured the tun capacity in old gallons.
American English
- The tun warehouse is on the south side of the facility.
- A tun-sized opening was cut into the tank.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The castle's cellar contained an enormous oak tun.
- In medieval times, a tun was a standard measure for wine.
- The brewery invested in a new stainless steel fermentation tun to increase capacity.
- The poet spoke metaphorically of his heart as 'a tun filled with sorrow'.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'TON' of beer – a TUN is a barrel that could hold a ton of liquid.
Conceptual Metaphor
A LARGE CONTAINER IS A TUN (used for abstract capacity, e.g., 'a tun of information' – archaic/poetic).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'тун' (non-existent) or 'тон' (tone/thin).
- Not equivalent to 'бочка' (general barrel) in modern usage; 'tun' is more specific and archaic.
- Avoid translating directly from poetic uses of 'tun' in English to modern Russian.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'ton' (unit of weight).
- Using it as a general word for any barrel in modern contexts.
- Pronouncing it /tuːn/ (like 'tune'). Correct is /tʌn/.
Practice
Quiz
In which industry is the word 'tun' most likely to be used technically today?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Historically, a tun was a specific large cask, often larger than a standard barrel. In modern technical brewing, a 'mash tun' or 'lauter tun' is a specific vessel, not just any barrel.
It is pronounced exactly like the word 'ton' (/tʌn/), rhyming with 'sun' and 'fun'.
Yes, though it's very rare and archaic. It means to put into a tun or to brew in a tun.
No, it is a low-frequency, specialised, and archaic word. Most learners will only encounter it in historical texts, literature, or specific technical contexts like brewing.