I. ˈtən noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English tonne, tunne, toun, from Old English tunne cask, barrel, tun, probably of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Irish tonn skin, hide — more at tunnel
1.
a. : a large cask especially for holding wine or beer
b. : a large receptacle (as a tub or chest)
sends you … this tun treasure — Shakespeare
the wash was made up freshly in a deep washing tun — Veterinary Record
c. : a brewer's fermenting vat : mash tun
2. : any of various units of liquid capacity ; especially : a unit equal to 252 wine gallons
3.
a. : something that resembles a large barrel
that tun of man — Leslie Hotson
b.
(1) dialect England : chimney , chimney pot
the crooked smoke … from our cottage tuns — Llewelyn Powys
(2) : chimney stack
II. transitive verb
( tunned ; tunned ; tunning ; tuns )
Etymology: Middle English tonnen, tunnen, from tonne, tunne tun
1. archaic : to put into or store in a tun : cask
2. archaic : to cause to flow into or as if into a tun : pour , swill
used to tun down beer … during dinner — Fraser's Magazine
III. ˈtu̇n noun
( -s )
Etymology: Mayan
: a period of 360 days composed of 18 months of 20 days each and used as the basis of the Maya long count to which is added the uayeb to make the 365-day year of the Maya calendar — see uinal ; compare tzolkin