The gill /ˈdʒɪl/ or teacup is a unit of measurement for volume equal to a quarter of a pint. It is no longer in common use, except in regard to the volume of alcoholic spirits measures.
The gill /ˈdʒɪl/ or teacup is a unit of measurement for volume equal to a quarter of a pint. It is no longer in common use, except in regard to the volume of alcoholic spirits measures.
| 1 imperial gill | ≡ 5 imperial fluid ounces |
| ≡ 1⁄32 imperial gallon | |
| ≡ 1⁄4 imperial pint | |
| ≡ 1⁄2 Imperial cups | |
| = 40 Imperial fluid drams | |
| ≡ 142.0653125 mL[a] | |
| ≈ 142 mL | |
| ≈ 1.2 US gills | |
| ≈ 8.67 in3 |
| 1 US gill | ≡ 4 US fl oz |
| ≡ 1⁄32 US gallon | |
| ≡ 1⁄8 US quart | |
| ≡ 1⁄4 US pint | |
| ≡ 1⁄2 US cup | |
| ≡ 8 tablespoons | |
| ≡ 24 teaspoons | |
| ≡ 32 US fluid drams | |
| ≡ 77⁄32 in3 | |
| ≡ 118.29411825 mL[b] | |
| ≈ 118 mL | |
| ≈ 5⁄6 imperial gills |
Prior to metrication, in the United Kingdom, the standard single measure of spirits in a pub was 1⁄6 gill (23.7 mL) in England and Northern Ireland, and either 1⁄5 gill (28.4 mL) or 1⁄4 gill (35.5 mL) in Scotland. After metrication, this was replaced by measures of either 25 or 35 millilitres (0.176 or 0.246 gi), at the discretion of the proprietor.
However, a spirit measure in the Isle of Man is still defined as 1⁄5 gill (28.4 mL) and 1⁄6 gill (23.7 mL) in Northern Ireland.[1][2]
Half of a gill is a jack, or an eighth of a pint.[3] But in northern England, a quarter pint could also be called a jack or a noggin, rather than a gill, and in some areas a half pint could be called a gill, particularly for beer and milk.[4][5][6]
In Scotland, there were additional sizes:[7]
In Ireland, the standard spirit measure was historically 1⁄4 gill and in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, it still retains this value, though it is now legally specified in metric units as 35.5 mL.
There are occasional references to a gill in popular culture, such as in:
Because of its more widely used homograph, gill has sometimes been mispronounced with a hard 'g' sound. In English, the sound of soft ⟨g⟩ is the affricate /dʒ/, as in general, giant, and gym. A ⟨g⟩ at the end of a word usually renders a hard ⟨g⟩ (as in "rag"), while if a soft rendition is intended it would be followed by a silent ⟨e⟩ (as in "rage").
