The butt is an obsolete English measure of liquid volume equalling two hogsheads, being between 450 and 1,060 litres (99 and 233 imp gal; 120 and 280 US gal) by various definitions.1
Equivalents
A butt approximately equated to 108 imperial gallons (130 US gallons; 491 litres) for ale or 105 imperial gallons (126 US gallons; 477 litres) for wine (also known as a pipe), although the Oxford English Dictionary notes that "these standards were not always precisely adhered to".12
The word "buttload" originated from a load of liquid one butt in size, later becoming a more generic slang term meaning "a lot." 3
The butt is one in a series of English wine cask units, being half of a tun.
References
References
- "butt, n.4 meanings, etymology and more". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- Ciphering (1833). Ciphering made easy, or, An attempt to render simple and interesting the first four rules of arithmetic. p. 84. ISBN 978-0559229732. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - "How Much is a Buttload of Wine?". EverWonderWine?. 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2026-02-26.