demijohn

Borrowed from French dame-jeanne (literally “Lady Jane”), of uncertain origin. Note that the French Jeanne (“Jane, feminine of John”) has changed to the masculine form John, rather than the cognate English Jane.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛmɪdʒɒn/

demijohn (plural demijohns)

1. A large bottle with a short neck, sometimes with two small handles at the neck, sometimes encased in wickerwork.
   • 1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter VIII, in The Understanding Heart:

     “Reckon it's first-drink time,” the old prospector cried cheerily, and unearthed Monica's two-gallon demijohn.

   • 1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber 1992, p. 234:

     Toby, placing his gold-rimmed spectacles on his nose, set our dinner to simmer and uncorked a demijohn of the old Verfeuille red which glowed in our glasses with the embers of old recollections of half-forgotten journeys and excursions of our youth by the light of the moon.

• carboy