Barrel vs. Tierce — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 23, 2024
A barrel, typically used for storing liquids like oil and beer, usually holds about 42 U.S. gallons, while a tierce, historically used for wine or oil, holds approximately 42 imperial gallons.
Difference Between Barrel and Tierce
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
barrel is a standard unit of measure for oils and fluids, particularly in the petroleum industry, and is equal to 42 U.S. gallons. In contrast, a tierce is less commonly used today and was traditionally a measurement for wine and oil, holding about 159 liters.
The term "barrel" is often used in a variety of contexts beyond just storage; for example, it can refer to the cylindrical shape in different mechanisms, like a gun barrel. On the other hand, tierce remains largely historical and is rarely used in modern vernacular except in specific old measurements or historical texts.
Barrels are typically made from either metal or wood, depending on their contents (with wooden barrels often used for aging alcoholic beverages like wine and whiskey). Meanwhile, tierces were traditionally wooden and specifically crafted to hold liquids, not vastly different in construction but different in volume and historical usage.
In trading and shipping, the barrel is a much more frequently referenced unit, especially in the American oil industry. Conversely, tierce as a unit of measurement is predominantly historical and not used in current commercial shipping or trade.
Both terms can also represent larger ideas or roles within different industries: barrels in contexts ranging from oil to culinary arts, and tierces historically in the wine trade, showcasing their adaptability and cultural significance, albeit in very different ways and extents.
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Comparison Chart
Volume
Typically 42 U.S. gallons (about 159 liters)
Approximately 42 imperial gallons (about 191 liters)
Common Usage
Oil, beer, whiskey
Historically used for wine and oil
Material
Wood or metal
Wood
Modern Relevance
Widely used in various industries
Mostly historical
Symbolic Meaning
Can symbolize abundance, as in "barrel of laughs"
Limited symbolic usage
Compare with Definitions
Barrel
A unit of volume for liquids, particularly oil.
The U.S. produces millions of barrels of oil daily.
Tierce
Primarily wooden construction.
A tierce was typically made from sturdy wood to hold oil or wine.
Barrel
Can refer to the shape of a component.
The barrel of the gun needs to be cleaned regularly.
Tierce
A historical volume unit used for liquids.
The tierce was once a common measure for wine.
Barrel
Commonly used as a storage container.
The brewery stores their beer in large wooden barrels.
Tierce
Rarely used in modern contexts.
Tierces are more likely to be mentioned in historical documents.
Barrel
Symbolizes abundance or plenty.
We had a barrel of laughs at the party last night.
Tierce
Specific to certain industries.
The tierce was prevalent in the wine trade centuries ago.
Barrel
Used in various expressions.
Scraping the bottom of the barrel means using the last of your resources.
Tierce
Represents historical measurement practices.
Learning about tierces can help understand old trading measurements.
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wood or metal hoops.
Tierce
Variant of terce.
Barrel
A cylindrical container bulging out in the middle, traditionally made of wooden staves with metal hoops round them
The wine is then matured in old barrels
Tierce
A measure of liquid capacity, equal to a third of a pipe, or 42 gallons (159 liters).
Barrel
A tube forming part of an object such as a gun or a pen
A gun barrel
Tierce
(Games) A sequence of three cards of the same suit.
Barrel
The belly and loins of a four-legged animal such as a horse
A Welsh mountain pony with a barrel like a butt of wine
Tierce
(Sports) The third position from which a parry or thrust can be made in fencing.
Barrel
Drive or move in a way that is so fast as to almost be out of control
We barrelled across the Everglades
Tierce
(Music) An interval of a third.
Barrel
Put into a barrel or barrels
When the young spirit is barrelled, it absorbs some of this flavour
Tierce
(obsolete) A third.
Barrel
A large cylindrical container, usually made of staves bound together with hoops, with a flat top and bottom of equal diameter.
Tierce
Syn of terce: the third canonical hour or its service.
Barrel
The quantity that a barrel with a given or standard capacity will hold.
Tierce
A measure of capacity equal to a third of a pipe, or a cask or other vessel holding such a quantity; a cask larger than a barrel, and smaller than a hogshead or a puncheon, in which wine or salt provisions, rice, etc., are packed for shipment.
Barrel
Abbr. bar. or bbl. or bl. Any of various units of volume or capacity. In the US Customary System it varies, as a liquid measure, from 31 to 42 gallons (117 to 159 liters) as established by law or usage.
Tierce
(music) The third tone of the scale. See mediant.
Barrel
The thicker portion of a baseball bat, from which the most powerful hits are struck.
Tierce
(card games) A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace, king and queen is called tierce-major.
Barrel
The cylindrical part of a firearm through which the bullet travels.
Tierce
(fencing) The third defensive position, with the sword hand held at waist height, and the tip of the sword at head height.
Barrel
A cylinder that contains a movable piston.
Tierce
(heraldry) An ordinary that covers the left or right third of the field of a shield or flag.
Barrel
The drum of a capstan.
Tierce
(obsolete) One sixtieth of a second, i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system. (Also known as a third.)
Barrel
The cylinder within the mechanism of a timepiece that contains the mainspring.
Tierce
A cask whose content is one third of a pipe; that is, forty-two wine gallons; also, a liquid measure of forty-two wine, or thirty-five imperial, gallons.
Barrel
The trunk of a quadruped animal, such as a horse or cow.
Tierce
A cask larger than a barrel, and smaller than a hogshead or a puncheon, in which salt provisions, rice, etc., are packed for shipment.
Barrel
The tubular space inside a wave when it is breaking.
Tierce
The third tone of the scale. See Mediant.
Barrel
(Informal) A large quantity
A barrel of fun.
Tierce
A sequence of three playing cards of the same suit. Tierce of ace, king, queen, is called tierce-major.
Barrel
(Slang) An act or instance of moving rapidly, often recklessly, in a motor vehicle.
Tierce
A position in thrusting or parrying in which the wrist and nails are turned downward.
Barrel
Resembling or similar to a barrel, as in shape
A barrel chest.
Barrel hips.
Tierce
The third hour of the day, or nine a. m,; one of the canonical hours; also, the service appointed for that hour.
Barrel
To put or pack in a barrel.
Tierce
Divided into three equal parts of three different tinctures; - said of an escutcheon.
Barrel
To move or progress rapidly
"That the European Union barreled ahead was not surprising" (Richard W. Stevenson).
Tierce
The third canonical hour; about 9 a.m.
Barrel
(countable) A round (cylindrical) vessel, such as a cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends (head). Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.
A cracker barrel
Tierce
The cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
Barrel
Such a cask of a certain size, holding one-eighth of what a tun#Noun holds. (See a diagram comparing cask sizes.)
Tierce
One of three equal parts of a divisible whole;
It contains approximately a third of the minimum daily requirement
Barrel
The quantity which constitutes a full barrel: the volume or weight this represents varies by local law and custom.
Barrel
A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case
The barrel of a windlass;
The barrel of a watch, within which the spring is coiled.
Barrel
A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.
Barrel
(television) A ceiling-mounted tube from which lights are suspended.
Barrel
(archaic) A tube.
Barrel
(zoology) The hollow basal part of a feather.
Barrel
(music) The part of a clarinet which connects the mouthpiece and upper joint, and looks rather like a barrel (1).
Barrel
(surfing) A wave that breaks with a hollow compartment.
Barrel
A waste receptacle.
Throw it into the trash barrel.
Barrel
The ribs and belly of a horse or pony.
Barrel
(obsolete) A jar.
Barrel
(biology) Any of the dark-staining regions in the somatosensory cortex of rodents, etc., where somatosensory inputs from the contralateral side of the body come in from the thalamus.
Barrel
(baseball) A statistic derived from launch angle and exit velocity of a ball hit in play.
Barrel
(transitive) To put or to pack in a barrel or barrels.
Barrel
(intransitive) To move quickly or in an uncontrolled manner.
He came barrelling around the corner and I almost hit him.
Barrel
(intransitive) To assume the shape of a barrel; specifically, of the image on a computer display, television, etc., to exhibit barrel distortion, where the sides bulge outwards.
Barrel
A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads; as, a cracker barrel. Sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.
Barrel
The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31½ gallons; a barrel of flour is 196 pounds.
Barrel
A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case; as, the barrel of a windlass; the barrel of a watch, within which the spring is coiled.
Barrel
A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.
Barrel
A jar.
Barrel
The hollow basal part of a feather.
Barrel
To put or to pack in a barrel or barrels.
Barrel
A tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired
Barrel
A cylindrical container that holds liquids
Barrel
A bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends
Barrel
The quantity that a barrel (of any size) will hold
Barrel
Any of various units of capacity;
A barrel of beer is 31 gallons and a barrel of oil is 42 gallons
Barrel
Put in barrels
Common Curiosities
Why is the tierce not commonly used today?
The tierce has fallen out of general use and remains mostly a historical term, replaced by other units like barrels and liters.
What is the primary use of a barrel today?
Barrels are primarily used for storing liquids like oil, beer, and whiskey, and also in various industries as a unit of measurement.
How are barrels and tierces similar?
Both are cylindrical containers historically used for storing and transporting liquids.
What is the difference in volume between a barrel and a tierce?
A barrel typically holds 42 U.S. gallons, while a tierce holds about 42 imperial gallons, making the tierce larger.
Are there any specific materials required to make a barrel or a tierce?
Both are traditionally made from wood, though barrels can also be made from metal depending on their use.
What are some modern equivalents to a tierce?
Modern equivalents to a tierce would be barrels or liters in current measurement standards.
How did tierces impact historical trading?
Tierces were important in historical trading, particularly for accurately measuring and transporting wine and oils.
Can a barrel be used for substances other than liquids?
Yes, barrels can also store solids and are used metaphorically in various industries.
What industries would have used a tierce?
Historically, the wine and oil industries frequently used tierces.
How does the construction of barrels affect their usage?
The construction, whether wood for flavor infusion in beverages or metal for durability, greatly influences their usage.
Are barrels regulated by any standards?
Yes, especially in industries like petroleum and distilling, specific standards govern the size and use of barrels.
Why might someone learn about tierces today?
Learning about tierces can offer insights into historical measurement systems and trade practices.
What role do barrels play in the oil industry?
In the oil industry, barrels are a standard measurement unit for trading and describing production volumes.
Is the term 'barrel' used in any phrases or idioms?
Yes, phrases like "over a barrel" or "scraping the bottom of the barrel" use the term metaphorically.
What would be a typical scenario for using a barrel in today's world?
A typical use today would be in breweries for storing and aging beer.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
