Forms: 3 ueat, 3–4 uet, 5– vat, 4, 6 vatte, 8 vatt; 4–5 vaat, 4, 6–8 vate, 6 vaette. [Southern variant of FAT sb.1 The long vowel in the obs. forms vaat, vate, is derived from the OE. pl. (fatu, etc.) or from late forms of the gen. and dat. sing. (fates, fate).]
1. A cask, tun or other vessel used for holding or storing water, beer or other liquid; usually one of some size in which a liquor, esp. beer or cider, undergoes fermentation or is prepared; † a vessel.
a. 1225. Juliana, 31. Þe worldes wealdent þat wiste sein iuhan his ewanigeliste unhurt iþe ueat of wallinde eoli.
1340. Ayenb., 231. Hi bereþ a wel precious tresor ine a wel fyebble uet.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 5095. An Archebysschop … bad hym ordeyne an huge vaat, Ful of water clere.
1399. Acc. Exch. K. R., 473/11 m. 2. Pro xxiiij circulis ligneis emptis ad diuers[os] vattes et cowelys inde ligandis pro aqua in eisdem conseruanda.
14[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 577. Cuva, a cuve or a vaat.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 465. Canels or pipis, wynes forth to lede Into the vat & tonnys, make also.
1552. Huloet, Vat, or fat, a vessell for water, ale, bere, or any licour, labrum.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iii. Captaines, 745. Each grape to weep, and crimsin streams to spin Into the Vate, set to receive them in.
1662. Charleton, Myst. Vintners (1675), 194. A clean and strongly-scented Cask or Vate.
1697. Prior, Ep. Sir F. Sheppard, 41. My Uncle … Might have … Taught me with Cyder to replenish My Vats or ebbing Tide of Rhenish.
1708. J. Philips, Cyder, I. 18. Would’st thou, thy Vats with gen’rous Juice should froth? Respect thy Orchats.
1781. Johnson, in Boswell, 5 April. We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats.
1830. M. Donovan, Dom. Econ., I. 169. This fermenting tun is an immense circular vat or tub bound with strong iron hoops, and covered in at all parts.
1872. Yeats, Techn. Hist. Comm., 237. For the large circular vats in which the ale was formerly fermented, slate tuns have been recently substituted.
Comb. 1611. Cotgr., Cuvelier, a vat-maker, or tub-maker.
b. A vessel, cauldron or cistern containing the liquid used in dyeing or some other process.
1548. Elyot, Ahenum, a great vatte, wherein purple is dyed.
1632. Sherwood, s.v., A dying Vat, curvier.
1738. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Dying Ingredients, Dying materials … applied … by only dipping the stuff in the vat of dye.
1788. Trans. Soc. Arts, VI. 165 (Papermaking), Having prepared the stuff, chest and vatt, quite clean, I chopt the clean bark or first preparation [etc.].
1791. W. Hamilton, Berthollet’s Dyeing, I. Introd. p. ii. The Stuffs … were immersed in vats, where they received various colours.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 366. The large vat or cistern [of a paper-mill], A A, is of an oblong figure on the outside.
1832. Porcelain & Glass, 38. When the flints are thus sufficiently ground, the semi-fluid is transferred to another vat.
1873. Hamerton, Intell. Life, XII. i. 432. Every locality is like a dyer’s vat, the residents take its colour.
† c. = FAT sb.1 1 b. Obs. rare.
1507. Pilton Churchw. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.), 53. Item an oyle vatte of sylver.
† d. A cask or tub used as a receptacle for refuse or filth. Obs.
1534–5. MS. Rawl. D. 77, fol. 67 b. The vaettes that convayeth the Rubbysch from the great Kechyn. Ibid. (1536), Skoryng and makyng clean the Vattes of the Comen Jakes … with other vattes with in the said castell.
2. In various special uses: a. = CHEESE-VAT.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 334. Vallor, or Vallow, or Vate, a concave Mould wherein a Cheese is pressed.
1860. All Year Round, No. 51. 19. The next step taken was to get a proper ‘vat’ and ‘follower’ made of solid muhogany.
b. Tanning. = TAN-VAT.
1777. Phil. Trans., LXVIII. 115. Until they think proper to lay it away in the Vatts. In these holes, which are the largest in the tan-yard, the leather is spread out smooth.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., III. 2490/1. The tan-yard contains a number of wooden-lined vats, whose tops are level with the … ground.
1885. Harper’s Mag., Jan., 276/1. The hides are placed … in vats filled with a dissolved excrement.
c. Cornwall. (See quot.)
1778. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 225. Upon the top of the arch or back of the calciner, is made a square hollow place called a Vate or Dry, sufficient to contain a serving or hand barrow full of Tin.
d. Mining. (See quots.)
1802. J. Mawe, Min. Derby, Gloss., Vat, a wooden tub used to wash ore and mineral substances.
1872. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 253. Outside of the building the pulp runs first into vats, where the heavier portion settles and the rest goes into the creek.
1888. F. Hume, Mme. Midas, I. v. The wash was carried along in the trucks from the top of the shaft to the puddlers, which were large circular vats into which water was constantly gushing.
e. Saltmaking. A salt-pit (see quots.).
1860. Maury, Phys. Geog. (Low), ii. 22. There is a series of vats or pools through which the water is passed as it comes from the sea, and is reduced to the briny state.
1861. J. H. Bennet, Shores Medit. (1875), I. v. 143. The vats or pools into which the sea-water is received for evaporation.
3. A cask, barrel or other vessel for holding or storing dry goods; = FAT sb.1 3.
1766. Entick, London, IV. 328. Their business being to attend each ship, to top the vats, and to return an account of the coals measured.
1825. Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 741. The arrival of a vat of Hambro’ yarn. Ibid. The inhabitants met the waggon,… decorated the vat with ribands,… and drew the same through the village.
1859. F. A. Griffiths, Artill. Man. (1862), 159. The horses are to be taken out; the harness … packed in vats.
† b. Formerly used as a measure of capacity for coal (see quots. and FAT sb.1 4). Obs.
1708. Constit. Watermen’s Co., xlii. It is agreed and order’d, that all Lightermen selling Coals, shall sell Pool-measure,… That is to say, One and Twenty Chaldron to the Score, or otherwise to sell the same Measure each person buys, (provided the Parcel be Five Chaldron and a Vatt at the least).
1763. Ann. Reg., 64. Importation of coals into the port of London in the year 1762, amounting to 570,774 chaldrons and one vat.
1821. Acc. Peculations Coal Trade, 5. The measure used in the pool is by vat; this contains nine bushels heaped.
† c. (See quot.) Obs.
1730. Bailey (fol.), Fat, Vat, (of Merchandise) an uncertain quantity, as of yarn, from 210 to 211 bundles; of wire, from 20 to 25 pound weight, &c.
4. Dyeing. The liquid solution in which the material to be dyed is immersed; the dyeing liquor. Usually with defining term.
1755. Dict. Arts & Sci., II. 998/2. Lime is much used in working blue-vats. Ibid., 1000/2. The blue vats in deep blues of the fifth stall, give no considerable weight.
1765. [indigo vat: see INDIGO C. 1].
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 415. In this vat, the immediate principles … perform the disoxidizing function of the copperas in the cold vat. Ibid. The pastel vats require most skill … in consequence of their complexity.
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., III. 251. Copperas or common blue vat. Ibid., 252. An excess of lime yields a sharp vat;… too little lime yields a soft vat.
1900. Jrnl. Soc. Dyers, XVI. 8. A vat prepared with caustic soda.
5. attrib., as vat-room; vat-man, Papermaking, a workman who lifts the pulp from the vat and molds the sheets of paper; a dipper or maker; vat-net (see quot.); vat-press, Papermaking, a press in which the sheets are placed after they leave the vat.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 927. Meanwhile the *vat-man puts the deckel upon the other mould.
1885. Encycl. Brit., XVIII. 225/1. The vatman takes up enough pulp on the mould to fill the deckle.
1884. Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl. 921/1. *Vat net, used as a strainer over a tub or tank.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 931. 1 Man … in keeping in order 7 vats, *vat-presses, &c.
1840. Penny Cycl., XVII. 209/1. This post … is placed in the vat-press, and subjected to a strong pressure to force out the superfluous water.
1843. Tizard, Brewing, xix. 464. Where the trade is extensive, and *vat-room is of consequent importance.
Hence Vatful.
1632. Sherwood, A vat-full, cuvée.
1862. Sat. Rev., XIII. 411/1. By the sudden interposition of a vat-full of pale ale details.
1864. G. A. Sala, in Belfast News-Letter, 4 Jan., 4/2. I saw at Washington a waiter who, in moustache, whisker, turn-down collar, and even to a lisp and a limp, was the image of Lord Dundreary dipped in a vatful of ink.
