Ullage
/ˈʌl.ɪdʒ/noun
The amount by which a container falls short of being full; the empty space left in a cask, bottle, or tank.
Did you know?Ullage comes from an old French word for “the act of filling,” ultimately tied to Latin roots for “pouring,” so the word for empty space was born from the language of filling vessels.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
oculare
“to fill a cask or vessel”
Old French
Old French
ouillage
“the act of filling a cask; liquid added to make up what has been lost”
Middle English
English
ullage
“the amount needed to fill a cask to the brim; later, the empty space itself”
Modern English
English
ullage
“the unfilled space in a container”