[ 'fə:kɪn ]
■ noun chiefly historical
1》 a small cask used chiefly for liquids, butter, or fish.
2》 a unit of liquid volume equal to half a kilderkin (usually 9 imperial gallons or about 41 litres).
Origin
ME ferdekyn , prob. from the MDu. dimin. of vierde 'fourth' (a ~ orig. contained a quarter of a barrel).