Wineskins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of container crafted from animal hides, traditionally used for storing and transporting liquid, especially fermented grape juice
2. These flexible bags, often associated with ancient practices, served to hold beverages and were typically carried by travelers
3. Containers made from animal skin designed to hold liquids, prevalent in historical contexts for the storage of wine or other fluids

Etymology: "Wineskins" is simply the plural of "wineskin," so the story is that of its two parts. "Wine" comes from Old English "win," itself borrowed early from Latin "vinum," while "skin" is a native Germanic word, from Old Norse "skinn," that displaced the Old English "hyde" for animal coverings. Joined together, the compound describes a container made from the whole pelt of an animal, sewn and sealed to hold liquid. Such containers were far older than the English word. Animal skins, typically from goats, were stripped, closed at the openings, and filled with wine or water, which made them light and easy to carry on foot or by pack animal. The English compound is transparent in just this way: it names the object by its material and its contents, with no metaphor involved.