stukvat, noun

Forms:
Also stuck-vat, stuk-vat.
Origin:
South African Dutch, DutchShow more South African Dutch, from Dutch stuk vat.
obs.
A large wine- or brandy-vat, holding 24 ankers (192 imperial gallons or 888 litres). Also attributive. See also anker.
1824 S. Afr. Commercial Advertiser 14 Jan. 23Waggons, Draughthorses,..Stuckvats, Leaguers, Casks, c
1829 Govt Gaz. 23 Jan. 8Six fine new six-and-a-half Leaguer Stuckvats, made of blue Staves; common Stuckvats, Leaguers, Pipes, and smaller fustage.
1831 S. Afr. Almanac & Dir. (advt)Has continually on sale Stuckvat Staves and Teakwood do., large and small Iron Hoops.
1832 Graham’s Town Jrnl 13 Apr. 61P. Heugh & Co. having sold their premises in the Town, will sell, on Tuesday next..Without Reserve, the remainder of their Stock, consisting of...Stukvat Staves, Teakwood Planks, cane, empty bottles.
1877 Lady Barker Yr’s Hsekeeping 16It is in the long corridor beyond this that the ‘Stuck-Vats’ live, — puncheons which hold easily some thousand gallons or so.
1887 S.W. Silver & Co.’s Handbk to S. Afr. 224The wine is racked into a fresh stuckvat whenever it is wished to check fermentation.
1894 G. Payne in H. Beck Meet Cape Wines (1966) (2nd ed.) 16In the majority of cellars I visited it would be impossible to make good wine...The cellars are dirty..and stukvats anything but clean.
1910 D. Fairbridge That Which Hath Been (1913) 107The long, white wine-house with its rows of massive oak stuk-vats bound with iron.
1915 D. Fairbridge Torch Bearer 186Their deep and lofty cellars were filled with gigantic oak stuk-vats, the mighty casks into which the pressed grape-juice from the neighbouring farms was poured, to be treated and blended and issued to a thirsty South Africa as Hermitage or Sauvignon Blanc.
1936 L.G. Green Secret Afr. 175Six of the wine casks still in use at Alphen were there in 1708...Some of the oak stukvats used as fermenting vats were made by slaves on the farm.
A large wine- or brandy-vat, holding 24 ankers (192 imperial gallons or 888 litres). Also attributive.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

18241936

Browse Related Words

By Category

Measures
Wine-making Distilling and Brewing

By Origin

Dutch

By Usage

obsolete or obsolescent
stukkie, nounn.stump, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English