Tanker and tankard are two words that are close in spelling and pronunciation but have very different meanings. We will examine the definitions of tanker and tankard, where these two words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
A tanker is a conveyance such as a truck, ship or aircraft used to carry liquids or gases or the contents of that conveyance. Commonly, a tanker is used to transport oil, though tankers may carry chemicals, gas, water or even milk. Tanker is used as a noun or rarely, as a transitive verb which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are tankers, tankered, tankering. The word tanker is probably derived from the Gujarati word tānkũ which means cistern or the Marathi word tānkẽ which means water tank.
A tankard is tall mug used to hold beer or the contents of that mug, which is usually constructed of pewter or silver. A tankard is a beer mug that has a handle and often, a hinged lid. It differs from other barware such as a beer stein in that a tankard is made of metal and may have a hinged lid, a beer stein is a tall beer mug made of ceramic, glassware or stoneware. Often considered a novelty in other countries, tankards are a staple in Germany, especially at Oktoberfest celebrations. Six million people attend the Munich Oktoberfest each year, which lasts two weeks. A tankard may be considered a personalized beer mug, and is often engraved with a monogram. The word tankard is derived from the Middle Dutch word tanckaert, which means a large vessel.
Examples
Aerospace giant Boeing plans to deliver the first KC-46 aerial refueling tankers to the Air Force by December, but the service branch expects the schedule will slip into spring 2018, according to a top Air Force leader of the program. (The Dayton Daily News)
A Bavarian tax inspector has demonstrated he can hold his drink better than most, by breaking the world record for the number of beer tankards carried over 40 metres (130ft). (The Guardian)