First recorded around 1400–50.
Comes from the late Middle English word ferdkyn or firdekyn.
This is formed from a variant of ferthe, meaning \"fourth,\" and the diminutive suffix -kin.
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF FIRKIN\r\n

The antique store had a collection of quaint firkins on display, each with its own unique design.
After the harvest festival, the townspeople gathered around to share stories over slices of bread from a firkin of butter.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Today’s the last day to submit!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/F01/F0166000.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"noun","data":"a small wooden vessel or tub for butter, lard, etc."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/firkin_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"1oVXif1S0fdGa4qOg8HK1","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"modern-pentathlon","entry":"modern pentathlon"},{"slug":"modern-persian","entry":"Modern Persian"},{"slug":"modern-portfolio-theory","entry":"modern portfolio theory"},{"slug":"modern-sequence-dancing","entry":"modern sequence dancing"},{"slug":"modern-synthesis","entry":"modern synthesis"}],"after":[{"slug":"modest","entry":"modest"},{"slug":"modestly","entry":"modestly"},{"slug":"modesto","entry":"Modesto"},{"slug":"modesty","entry":"modesty"},{"slug":"modesty-panel","entry":"modesty panel"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"Modersohn-Becker"},"requestId":"zgBRZOIK4rPvQpKqqSQtd","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"Modersohn-Becker"},"requestId":"hipa3nJ21iqbt_nGnVRgS","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[{"mpeg":"https://nonprod-audio.dictionary.com/M05/M0520500/M0520500.mp3"}],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"Modersohn-Becker","slug":"modersohn-becker"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"text\": \"Pau\\u00b7la\", \"type\": \"name\"}, {\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"punc\": \"comma\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d14\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d13\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02c8pa\\u028a l\\u0251\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d12\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"pou\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d10\"}, {\"text\": \"-lah\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]}, {\"text\": \"1876\\u20131907,\", \"type\": \"date\"}, {\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"German painter.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":null,"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":{"pronunciationSetChunk":"{\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d27\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d26\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02c8mo\\u028a d\\u0259r zo\\u028an\\u02c8b\\u025bk \\u0259r\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d25\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"moh\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d23\"}, {\"text\": \"-d\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"uh\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d22\"}, {\"text\": \"r\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d21\"}, {\"text\": \"-zohn-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"bek\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d20\"}, {\"text\": \"-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"uh\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d1f\"}, {\"text\": \"r\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d1e\"}]}]}"},"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"modersohn-becker"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"modersohn-becker"},"requestId":"MlzXDnUpCUgjlcKcHgZ86","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"modersohn-becker","displayForm":"Modersohn-Becker","canonicalSlug":"modersohn-becker","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6f2547.-d2b","type":"normal","entry":"Modersohn-Becker","entrySyllabified":"Mo·der·sohn-Beck·er","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"ipa":"ˈmoʊ dər zoʊnˈbɛk ər ","spell":"moh-duhr-zohn-bek-uhr ","audio":{"audio/ogg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/lunawav/M05/M0520500.ogg","audio/mpeg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/M05/M0520500.mp3"}},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"Pau·la

[pou-lah], /ˈpaʊ lɑ/, 1876–1907,","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"German painter.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":100394,"index-rank-01":["modersohn-becker"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["modersohn-becker's"],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":["modersohn becker","modersohnbecker","paula modersohn-becker"],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"Modersohn-Becker"},"requestId":"csm-yEIFMSiqJHkA5vckh","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["modern","Madison","madison","Modesto","Morrison","Mersin","moderne","Morison","Masterson","Matteson","meson","medusan","midiron","Merton","Morton","godson","modest","Mottelson","Dowson","Maderno","modernize","modesty","monsoon","mote spoon","madzoon","Monessen","Paterson","Peterson","Mods","Edison","Marston","odds-on","mow down","Dyson","mu meson","damson","M.Des.","D meson"],"tuna":["modern","madperson","model on","moderns","more sown","borders on","modes","mad person","modest","god son","made sound","more seen","odds on","odds-on"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"modern","slug":"modern"},{"displayForm":"Madison","slug":"madison"},{"displayForm":"madison","slug":"madison"},{"displayForm":"Modesto","slug":"modesto"},{"displayForm":"Morrison","slug":"morrison"},{"displayForm":"Mersin","slug":"mersin"},{"displayForm":"moderne","slug":"moderne"},{"displayForm":"Morison","slug":"morison"},{"displayForm":"Masterson","slug":"masterson"},{"displayForm":"Matteson","slug":"matteson"},{"displayForm":"meson","slug":"meson"},{"displayForm":"medusan","slug":"medusan"},{"displayForm":"midiron","slug":"midiron"},{"displayForm":"Merton","slug":"merton"},{"displayForm":"Morton","slug":"morton"},{"displayForm":"godson","slug":"godson"},{"displayForm":"modest","slug":"modest"},{"displayForm":"Mottelson","slug":"mottelson"},{"displayForm":"Dowson","slug":"dowson"},{"displayForm":"Maderno","slug":"maderno"},{"displayForm":"modernize","slug":"modernize"},{"displayForm":"modesty","slug":"modesty"},{"displayForm":"monsoon","slug":"monsoon"},{"displayForm":"mote spoon","slug":"mote-spoon"},{"displayForm":"madzoon","slug":"madzoon"},{"displayForm":"Monessen","slug":"monessen"},{"displayForm":"Paterson","slug":"paterson"},{"displayForm":"Peterson","slug":"peterson"},{"displayForm":"Mods","slug":"mods"},{"displayForm":"Edison","slug":"edison"},{"displayForm":"Marston","slug":"marston"},{"displayForm":"odds-on","slug":"odds-on"},{"displayForm":"mow down","slug":"mow--down"},{"displayForm":"Dyson","slug":"dyson"},{"displayForm":"mu meson","slug":"mu-meson"},{"displayForm":"damson","slug":"damson"},{"displayForm":"M.Des.","slug":"m-des"},{"displayForm":"D meson","slug":"d-meson"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"modern","slug":"modern"},{"displayForm":"madperson","slug":"madperson"},{"displayForm":"model on","slug":"model%20on"},{"displayForm":"moderns","slug":"moderns"},{"displayForm":"more sown","slug":"more%20sown"},{"displayForm":"borders on","slug":"borders%20on"},{"displayForm":"modes","slug":"modes"},{"displayForm":"mad person","slug":"mad%20person"},{"displayForm":"modest","slug":"modest"},{"displayForm":"god son","slug":"god%20son"},{"displayForm":"made sound","slug":"made%20sound"},{"displayForm":"more seen","slug":"more%20seen"},{"displayForm":"odds on","slug":"odds%20on"},{"displayForm":"odds-on","slug":"odds-on"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"Modersohn-Becker"},"requestId":"cOef9EymcZPOuFNkiaV5J","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Modersohn-Becker

noun

Word of the Day