sb. [Later form of CAG sb.1, q.v.]
1. A small barrel or cask, usually of less than 10 gallons.
1632. Sherwood, A kegge, Caque. Voyez a Cag.
1678. Phillips (ed. 4), App., Kag, or Keg … a large Vessel for the laying of Sturgeon in pickle.
1766. W. Gordon, Gen. Counting-ho., 318. 5 kegs of barley.
1812. Byron, Juan, II. xlvi. Two casks of biscuit and a keg of butter.
1835. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., I. 47. Think you one could have a little keg of salt herrings sent at the same time?
† b. A portion of sturgeon sufficient to fill a keg (cf. CAG sb.1 1, quot. 1704). Obs.
1617. Minsheu, Ductor, A Kegge of Sturgion,… Vne pieçe d’esturgeon.
1622. Drayton, Poly-olb., xxv. (1748), 367. The Sturgeon cut to keggs (too big to handle whole).
c. slang. The stomach.
1887. F. Francis, Jr. Saddle & Mocassin, 144 (Farmer). We’d been having ‘a time,’ and my keg was pretty full, too.
2. attrib., as keg-buoy, -head; keg-fig (see quot.).
1868. Paxton, Bot. Dict., Keg fig of Japan is the fruit of Diospyros Kaki.
1883. Fisheries Exhib. Catal. (ed. 4), 127. Keg Buoy, for floating drift nets.
1895. G. W. Edwards, in Century Mag., Aug., 570/1. Sam he had on a keg hat, all shiny silk, and a red necktie.
Hence † Keg v., to cut up (a sturgeon) into ‘kegs.’
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Jack-a-lent, Wks. (1630), I. 117/1. The poore Anchoue is pittifully pepper’d in the fight, whilst the Sturgeon is keg’d, randed, and iold about the eares.
