What does "keg" mean?
A round, traditionally wooden container of lesser capacity than a barrel, often used to store beer.
Keg
/kɛɡ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A round, traditionally wooden container of lesser capacity than a barrel, often used to store beer.
- Grammar: keg is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: barrel, beer cask, beer keg, butt.
- Useful contrasts: empty.
- Usage evidence: The Middle East is still called a powder keg.
How to use "keg"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "keg" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "keg" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "keg" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "keg" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "keg" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "barrel" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "keg", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A round, traditionally wooden container of lesser capacity than a barrel, often used to store beer.
"He bore on his shoulder a stout keg, that seemed full of liquor, and made signs for Rip to approach and assist him with his load."
- 2 small cask or barrel wordnet
- 3 the quantity contained in a keg wordnet
Verb
- 1 To store in a keg. transitive
"He gestured toward the empty chair and the other officers began passing him their kegged beef and ship's biscuit."
- 2 The pulling down of someone's trousers or kegs, oftentimes as a kind of bullying or prank. UK
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The Middle East is still called a powder keg."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "keg"?
Common synonyms include: barrel, beer cask, beer keg, butt, cask, casks.
How do you use "keg" in a sentence?
The Middle East is still called a powder keg.
How do you pronounce "keg"?
Pronounced /kɛɡ/.
Etymology
From Middle English kag, from Old Norse kaggi (“keg”), likely a diminutive of Proto-Germanic *kagô (“bush, branch, stalk, stump”). Cognate with Icelandic kaggi (“keg; cask”), Norwegian kagg (“keg”), Swedish kagge (“keg”), Low German kag (“vessel; craft”), Dutch kaag (“vessel; craft”). Compare also English cag and chag. The modern form keg with /ɛ/ is due to a dialectal raising of /a///æ/ to /ɛ/ before velars (cf. fleg); the expected form is preserved in dialectal /kæɡ/, while /keɪɡ/ reflects further raising that occurred in some dialects.