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Glite Dictionary
congius

congius

9.9
A British measure of liquid equal to four quarts or about 4.5 litres
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒn.dʒi.əs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : congio
  • A congius was equivalent to four imperial quarts in the British measurement system.

Examples

  • The recipe called for one congius of water.

  • Records mention a congius of wine being distributed per soldier.

  • The ancient Roman vessel held exactly one congius of olive oil.

  • During the 18th century, a congius was a common measure.

  • A congius was a traditional measure for liquids, equal to four imperial quarts.

  • In historical texts, a congius often represented the amount of wine allocated to a soldier.

  • The measurement of one congius was commonly used for olive oil in ancient recipes.

Synonyms

imperial gallon
vscongius
  • UK
6.7

A unit of volume used in Britain equal to 4.545 litres or 4 quarts

is an older term used mainly in historical contexts for the same measure

Surface Forms

congius singular
congii plural

Etymology

Congius comes from Latin and was named after a 'small cup' or 'shell' once used to hold liquid, so it became the name of a set measure for liquids. In Britain it was used in old measures to mean four quarts, about 4.545 liters, which is why you see it in historical records.