| 释义 |
ˈwater-ˌmeasure
A kind of measurement formerly used for coal, salt, fruit, etc., sold on board vessels in port or in the river.
The bushel of water-measure seems to have been originally the ordinary bushel heaped; the statute of 1495 ordained that it should contain five pecks of striked measure, thus exceeding the ordinary bushel by one-fourth. A ‘water-measure’ exceeding the standard measure in a much larger proportion seems to have been used for coal shipped from northern ports: see quot. 1708, and cf. quot. 1851 under chaldron 2.
1465Paston Lett. Suppl. (1901) 93, I may selle here for vj s. viij d. a quarter clene fixed after Royston mesure, whech is lesse thanne the water mesure of London. 1495Act 11 Hen. VII c. 4 §3 Provided alwey that this Acte shall not extend to any persone selling or byeng by watermesure..And..that the seid Watermesure within the Shippes borde shall onely conteyn v pekkis after the seid standard rased and streken. 1499Maldon (Essex) Court-rolls Bundle 58. No. 6 Emerunt salt ad portum per mensuram vocat. le water mesur et extra navem vendiderunt per le land mesur in prejudicium legiorum domini Regis. Ideo quilibet eorum in misericordia XLd. 1581S'hampton Crt. Leet Rec. (1905) 215 It is ordeynid that none should buye either salt, onions, aples or such lyke vppon the water but by water measure & like wize to sell beeinge once landed & sellerid or housed but by land measure. 1640Act 16 Chas. I. c. 19 §6 Such measure as is comonly called Water measure in any Ports Maritine [sic] Townes or other places shall be still used and continued as formerly the same hath beene. [Recited and repealed 1670 Act 22 Chas. II c. 8 §1.] a1661Fuller Worthies, Devon (1662) 247 William Alford..of Bediford carried on his back for a Wager, four Bushels, Salt-water-measure [read four Bushels Salt, water-measure]. 1702Act 1 Anne Stat. 1, c. 15(9) §1 Whereas Apples and Pears are frequently Sold by Measure, commonly called Water Measure, the Contents whereof are very Uncertain... Be it therefore Enacted..That the Measure, commonly called Water Measure, shall be Round, and in Diameter Eighteen Inches and an half within the Hoop, and Eight Inches Deep, and no more, and so in Proportion for any greater or lesser Measure: And that every Measure, commonly called Water Measure, by which Apples and Pears are Sold, shall be heaped as usually. 1708J. C. Compl. Collier (1845) 17 Water, or New-Castle or Sunderland Measure,..is generally reckoned double the Measure of a London Chaldron, or more. 1708Constit. Watermen's Co. xlii, It is agreed and order'd, that all Lightermen selling Coals, shall sell Pool-measure, commonly call'd Water-measure; That is to say, One and Twenty Chaldron to the Score. 1815Falconer's Dict. Marine (ed. Burney), Water-Measure. Salt, sea-coal, &c. while on board vessels in the pool or river, are measured with the corn bushel heaped up; or else five striked pecks are allowed to the bushel. This is called water-measure, and it exceeds Winchester measure by about three gallons in the bushel. |