What does "ullage" mean?
In a wine bottle, the empty space between the cork and the top of the wine.
Ullage
/ˈʌl.ɪd͡ʒ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: In a wine bottle, the empty space between the cork and the top of the wine.
- Grammar: ullage is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: arrearage, break, defalcation, defect.
- Useful contrasts: filled volume, full capacity, full volume.
- Usage evidence: The dry ullage will be obtained in the same manner, the dry inches being used instead of the wet.
How to use "ullage"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ullage" 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 "ullage" 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 "ullage" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ullage" 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 "ullage" is acting as noun, verb, slang 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 "arrearage" 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 "ullage", 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 In a wine bottle, the empty space between the cork and the top of the wine. countable, uncountable
- 2 the amount that a container (as a wine bottle or tank) lacks of being full wordnet
- 3 In a cask or barrel, the empty space, occupied by air, that is created by not completely filling the cask or barrel, or through spillage. countable, uncountable
"The dry ullage will be obtained in the same manner, the dry inches being used instead of the wet."
- 4 The topping up of such a barrel with fresh wine. countable, uncountable
- 5 In an industrial setting, the empty space in a tank, especially as for fuel. countable, uncountable
"Upon completion of loading, all cargo tanks shall again be inspected and ullages carefully measured and recorded, with temperatures, in the Cargo Record Book, Port Log and Supplementary Loading and Discharging Report."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Additional cargo of little or no value taken on to prevent movement or shifting of the purposive cargo. countable, uncountable
"[…]5 hhds. rum/ 5 bbls. flour/ 1 bbl. sugar/ 9 do. pork/ 1 do. suett/ 3 do. cocoa/ 6 do. peas/ 2 ullage bbls. vinegar[…]"
- 7 Leftover wine surreptitiously drunk by waiters as they clear away the glasses. countable, in-plural, obsolete, slang, uncountable
"Mopps […] was draining his vast array of wine-glasses, lest the waiters carrying them off should find any "ullages" in them for surreptitious tippling on stair-cases."
Verb
- 1 To gauge the amount of empty space between the top of a cask and the level of liquid inside it.
"The Duties on Spirits in England are charged on the number of proof gallons they contain, which is ascertained by first “gauging” or “ullaging” the liquor, and then “trying its strength” by Sike's hydrometer, in the way already described […]"
Antonyms
Example
"The dry ullage will be obtained in the same manner, the dry inches being used instead of the wet."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ullage"?
Common synonyms include: arrearage, break, defalcation, defect, deficiency, deficit.
How do you use "ullage" in a sentence?
The dry ullage will be obtained in the same manner, the dry inches being used instead of the wet.
How do you pronounce "ullage"?
Pronounced /ˈʌl.ɪd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
From Middle English ulage, from Anglo-Norman ulliage, from *ullier (“to fill a partially empty cask”), from Old French oel (“bunghole”, literally “eye”), from Latin oculus (“eye”). See French ouillage.