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sack

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An English unit of weight varying by commodity, typically three bushels or approximately 364 pounds for wool; also used for coal and grain.

Detailed Definition
The sack measured weight or capacity depending on commodity: wool sack held 364 pounds (26 stone), coal sack about 280 pounds, grain sack varied. The wool sack's importance made it symbolic—the Lord Chancellor sits on a wool sack in Parliament. In poetry concerning wool trade, commerce, or symbolic weight, sack provides measurement and metaphorical resonance. The term evokes England's wool economy, commercial heritage, and political symbolism. Poets employed sacks when treating commercial themes, particularly wool trade, or when invoking parliamentary/political imagery connected to England's economic foundations.
Example
Example in poetry:
In medieval wool poetry, "the merchant shipped ten sacks to Flanders, England's wealth woven into continental cloth"; Historical verse about wool trade might describe "sack after sack loaded onto carts, the country's fortune in fleece"; Poetry about Parliament invokes "the Lord Chancellor's woolsack, symbol of commercial power beneath political authority"; In verse about English economy, "wool measured in sacks, the unit defining national prosperity for centuries"; Modern poets writing about English history often reference "the woolsack in Parliament—reminder that lords sat literally on the foundation of English wealth"; Poetry exploring class and commerce describes "from peasant's fleece to merchant's sack, wool wove England's fortunes."
Additional Notes
The sack's variation by commodity (wool sack 364 lbs, coal sack 280 lbs, grain variable) demonstrates specialized measurement's complexity. Students should understand that wool sack's importance made it politically symbolic—Lord Chancellor sits on woolsack in Parliament, representing England's wool-based medieval wealth. The term appears in contexts of wool trade (fundamental to English economy), coal commerce, and grain transport. Understanding that sack measured substantial but portable quantities helps students appreciate scale between household and wholesale. In poetry about English economy, wool trade, or Parliamentary symbolism, sacks carry both literal and metaphorical weight. The woolsack's Parliamentary presence makes "sack" symbolically significant beyond measurement—it represents economic foundation of English power. Students should recognize commodity-specific variation: asking "how much is a sack?" requires specifying what commodity. Related terms include tod (28 lbs wool), wey (182 lbs wool), and last (bulk measure). For students writing about medieval English economy, wool trade, or commercial history, sacks provide authentic measurement with symbolic resonance. The sack can represent wealth, commerce, or political power based on economic strength.
Other Meanings of “sack”
Also Known As
sack weight sack of coal Sherry
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