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":"87uOLelEnZVRiwH4Aawpo","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"ambassador","entry":"ambassador"},{"slug":"ambassador-at-large","entry":"ambassador-at-large"},{"slug":"ambassadress","entry":"ambassadress"},{"slug":"ambatch","entry":"ambatch"},{"slug":"ambato","entry":"Ambato"}],"after":[{"slug":"ambeer","entry":"ambeer"},{"slug":"amber","entry":"amber"},{"slug":"amber-alert","entry":"Amber Alert"},{"slug":"amberfish","entry":"amberfish"},{"slug":"amber-fluid","entry":"amber fluid"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"ambedkar"},"requestId":"q3E_SKfEsGnu0hu-AVeJ5","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"ambedkar"},"requestId":"PZBP8nCJG5aDNAn8RXT0V","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[{"mpeg":"https://nonprod-audio.dictionary.com/A03/A0374000/A0374000.mp3"}],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"Ambedkar","slug":"ambedkar"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"text\": \"Bhim\\u00b7rao Ram\\u00b7ji\", \"type\": \"name\"}, {\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"punc\": \"comma\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5b1633.719a\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5b1633.719b\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02c8bim ra\\u028a \\u02c8r\\u0251m d\\u0292i\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u1d12ccc8b4c7be82.4ec6689c.17fd01503d1.3f4e\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"beem\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u1d12ccc8b4c7be82.4ec6689c.17fd01503d1.3f50\"}, {\"text\": \"-rou \", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"rahm\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u1d12ccc8b4c7be82.4ec6689c.17fd01503d1.3f51\"}, {\"text\": \"-jee\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]}, {\"text\": \"1893\\u20131956,\", \"type\": \"date\"}, {\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"Indian politician and jurist.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":null,"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":{"pronunciationSetChunk":"{\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5b1633.718c\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5b1633.718d\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u0251m\\u02c8b\\u025bd k\\u0251r\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5b1633.718e\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"ahm-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"bed\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5b1633.7190\"}, {\"text\": \"-kahr\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]}"},"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"ambedkar"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"ambedkar"},"requestId":"HbZH4hg3zMDqZSBCuPUEl","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"ambedkar","displayForm":"Ambedkar","canonicalSlug":"ambedkar","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5b1633.7188","type":"normal","entry":"Ambedkar","entrySyllabified":"Am·bed·kar","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"ipa":"ɑmˈbɛd kɑr ","spell":"ahm-bed-kahr ","audio":{"audio/ogg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/lunawav/A03/A0374000.ogg","audio/mpeg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/A03/A0374000.mp3"}},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"Bhim·rao Ram·ji

[beem-rou rahm-jee], /ˈbim raʊ ˈrɑm dʒi/, 1893–1956,","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"Indian politician and jurist.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":5089,"index-rank-01":["ambedkar"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["ambedkar's"],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":["bhimrao ambedkar","bhimrao ramji ambedkar"],"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":[],"categoryId":"131","tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"ambedkar"},"requestId":"fRHxlcJrOc7NBuQpCtRPs","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["Ambedkar","amberjack","embed","imbed","ambit","armored car","imbued","Ember day","embedded","amebic","Embden"],"tuna":["embed","imbed","ambit","embark","imbued","embedded","army bed","embody","embedding","amoebic","embodies","embarked","embitter","embodied"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"Ambedkar","slug":"ambedkar"},{"displayForm":"amberjack","slug":"amberjack"},{"displayForm":"embed","slug":"embed"},{"displayForm":"imbed","slug":"imbed"},{"displayForm":"ambit","slug":"ambit"},{"displayForm":"armored car","slug":"armored-car"},{"displayForm":"imbued","slug":"imbued"},{"displayForm":"Ember day","slug":"ember-day"},{"displayForm":"embedded","slug":"embedded"},{"displayForm":"amebic","slug":"amebic"},{"displayForm":"Embden","slug":"embden"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"embed","slug":"embed"},{"displayForm":"imbed","slug":"imbed"},{"displayForm":"ambit","slug":"ambit"},{"displayForm":"embark","slug":"embark"},{"displayForm":"imbued","slug":"imbued"},{"displayForm":"embedded","slug":"embedded"},{"displayForm":"army bed","slug":"army%20bed"},{"displayForm":"embody","slug":"embody"},{"displayForm":"embedding","slug":"embedding"},{"displayForm":"amoebic","slug":"amoebic"},{"displayForm":"embodies","slug":"embodies"},{"displayForm":"embarked","slug":"embarked"},{"displayForm":"embitter","slug":"embitter"},{"displayForm":"embodied","slug":"embodied"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"ambedkar"},"requestId":"y5ky6UqB_Ao2NfFOVDQeH","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Ambedkar

noun

Word of the Day