BARREL, formerly, was also a measure of liquids. The English barrel, wine measure, contained the eighth part of a tun, the fourth part of a pipe, and one half of a hogs-head, or 31½ gallons; a barrel, beer-measure, contained 36 gallons; and a barrel, ale-measure, 32 gallons.
BARREL also denotes a certain weight of several kinds of merchandise, and differs according to the nature of the commodities. Thus a barrel of Essex butter weighs 106 pounds, and of Suffolk butter 256 pounds; a barrel of herrings ought to contain 32 gallons wine-measure, and about 1000 herrings; a barrel of salmon should contain 42 gallons, and a barrel of eels the same; a barrel of soap should weigh 256 lbs.