cask n Cp OED ~ sb 1 'general term for a wooden vessel of cylindrical form'; see BARREL, DRUM, PUNCHEON. A type of wooden container made specifically for the shipment of dried and salted cod to the Mediterranean and West Indies markets, containing four cwt of fish. Also attrib cask fish.
   [1936] 1986 Evening Telegram 10 July, p. 6 The SS Prospero...left Marystown yesterday en route to Halifax, loaded 182 casks of dry shore fish and two barrels of Labrador from Williams and Co. Bay Bulls, for transshipment to the West Indies. [1940] 1990 ibid 7 Mar, p. 4 A string of ponies and slides from Pouch Cove came to town this morning hauling cask fish for export. The load for each pony was one four-quintal cask. 1987 ibid 27 Apr, p. 7 [tape transcript] Fish was packed in half-drums, drums, casks, donkeys, and various kinds of barrels... [A] cask held four quintals of dry or five quintals of Labrador. 1987 FIZZARD 170 'One time we went to Lunenburg and took a load of cask fish.' 1990 Evening Telegram 14 Jan, p. 14 I have packaged fish where I had a total 452 casks (four quintals per cask).

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