Jerrycan
/ˈdʒɛr.i.kæn/noun
A sturdy container for carrying fuel or other liquids.
Did you know?Jerrycan is a WWII British military slang term for a German-style fuel container; the first part likely comes from British slang “Jerry” for a German soldier, not from a person named Jerry.
Etymological Timeline
1930s
English
jerrycan
“A metal container for carrying fuel, modeled on German military cans.”
World War II
English
Jerry
“British slang for a German soldier or German person.”
1930s
German
Wehrmachtkanister
“A standardized military fuel container with recessed sides and a secure cap.”
19th Century
English
Jerry
“A personal name and also a slang term later applied to Germans in wartime use.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gairaz?
“No established etymon for the slang Jerry; the wartime nickname is of uncertain origin.”
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