Other forms: tankards
A tankard is a large mug with a handle for drinking beer. A pewter tankard, raise a tankard, an engraved tankard.
The glass-bottomed kind is explained by a story about press gangs and the king's shilling, which is almost certainly untrue. An engraved tankard is still the standard leaving present in some trades.
1nountankardA large mug with a handle for drinking beer.
“The landlord filled a pewter tankard with dark ale.”
tankard is a mug.
Middle English tankard first meant a large tub for carrying liquid, perhaps from a Dutch word.
French
tant
Latin
cantharus — tankard
Medieval Latin
*kantard
Middle Dutch
tanckaert
Dutch
tanckaert
Middle English
tankard
English, today
tankard
Built from
From Middle English tankard, 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.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA