noun
tankard
Tankard (noun) means a large drinking cup with one handle, sometimes made of pewter or with a glass base, and often fitted with a hinged lid.
noun
1
A large drinking cup with one handle, sometimes made of pewter or with a glass base, and often fitted with a hinged lid.
"I sure would be much happier with a tankard of mead right about now."
"They were left alone, and Athelny lifted the pewter tankard to his lips. He drank long and deep."
— William Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage (1915)
"You can feel the squelch of damp soil underfoot, the weight of a tankard in the hand. Clever of them to get Vermeer to serve as interior set designer."
— Janan Ganesh, The Hamnet wars (2026)
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Etymology
From Middle English tan(c)kard(e), denoting 'a large tub for carrying liquid', perhaps related to Dutch tanckaert, from Middle Dutch tanckaert, meaning the same thing, but of uncertain ultimate origin. The OED suggests an alteration of Medieval Latin *kantard, from Latin cantharus (“tankard”). Klein suggests French tant quart (“as much of a quarter”). Meaning "drinking vessel" is first recorded late 15th century.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of tankard?
"tankard" (noun) means a large drinking cup with one handle, sometimes made of pewter or with a glass base, and often fitted with a hinged lid.
