keg

[ keg ]

noun

1. a small cask or barrel, usually holding from 5 to 10 gallons (19 to 38 liters).
2. a unit of weight, equal to 100 pounds (45 kilograms), used for nails.
3. Also kegger. a keg party; beer bust.

keg

/ kɛɡ /

noun

1. a small barrel with a capacity of between five and ten gallons
2. 1. an aluminium container in which beer is transported and stored
   2. Also calledkeg beer beer kept in a keg: it is infused with gas and served under pressure

Word History and Origins

Origin of keg¹

1585–95; earlier cag < Old Norse kaggi

Word History and Origins

Origin of keg¹

C17: variant of Middle English kag, of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse kaggi cask

Idioms and Phrases

see sitting on a powder keg .

Example Sentences

One day when Nathan Queeley-Dennis was supposed to be busy lugging beer kegs in the cellar of the pub where he worked, he was instead writing his first script on his phone.

From BBC

The Jehanabad prison was a powder keg, housing Maoists alongside their class enemies - vigilantes from upper caste Hindu private armies.

From BBC

Even before the first keg was tapped or 10-ounce beer poured, there was already simmering tension between the Rangers and Indians.

From Seattle Times

And for a potentially powder keg Cannes there’s also the firebomb of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.”

From Seattle Times

Tires, kegs and a safe are among the belongings piled on the front lawn.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• cask