Balthazar
(bælˈθæzə(r), ˈbælθəˌzɑː(r))
Also Balthasar, Belshazzar.
[So called in allusion to Balthazar (Belshazzar), ‘king of Babylon’, who ‘made a great feast..and drank wine before the thousand’ (Daniel v. 1).]
A very large wine-bottle (see quots.).
| 1935 A. L. Simon Dict. Wine 22 Balthasar, a fancy name for a fancy bottle to hold some 16 ordinary bottles, or 12·80 litres, equal to about 2·75 gallons. 1959 Gloss. Packaging Terms (B.S.I.) 28 Belshazzar, a wine bottle—capacity 16 reputed quarts. 1962 Times 25 May 13/4 Methuselah.., Salmanasar, Balthasar, Nebuchadnezzar—‘usually applied respectively to eight, twelve, sixteen, and twenty bottle containers’. |