Gill (unit)

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The gill (pronounced /dʒɪl/) is a unit of measurement for volume, equal in the USA to one half of a cup (120 ml). It is not in common use.

In the Commonwealth a gill is an obsolete unit of measurement equal to one quarter of an imperial pint, or 5 fluid ounces (142 ml). The standard UK single measure of spirits in a pub was 1/6 gill (1/5 in Scotland) though this has now been replaced by either 25 ml or 35 ml measures (landlords can choose which one to serve). There is a pub in Edinburgh called the "The Quarter Gill," which famously insists on serving whiskey by the 1/4 gill.

This old measurement is kept alive by the occasional reference, such as in the cumulative song "The Barley Mow".