What Is Gill (UK)?
The UK gill is a small unit used to measure liquid volume. It belongs to the British imperial system. One UK gill is exactly one quarter of an imperial pint. In simple terms, it is a way to measure small amounts of drinks like milk, beer, or spirits.
Definition
The UK gill is an imperial unit for measuring how much liquid there is. It is defined by law in the imperial system.
- 1 UK gill is equal to 1/4 UK pint
- 1 UK gill is equal to 5 UK fluid ounces
- 1 UK gill is about 142 milliliters
This means if you pour a UK gill of water into a measuring jug, the level will be close to 142 milliliters.
History / Origin
The gill has been used in Britain and Ireland for many centuries to measure drinks, especially alcoholic drinks like beer, wine, and spirits.
Long ago, before the imperial system was fully set, different towns and countries had their own sizes for a gill. The word probably comes from old French words for a drinking measure.
In 1824 the British government created the imperial system. At that time the UK gill was fixed as one quarter of an imperial pint. From then on it became a standard measure for pubs and shops that sold liquid by volume.
Over time, as metric units like the liter and milliliter became common, the gill was used less in daily life. It still appears in old recipes and in some traditional pub measures, but it is mostly a historical unit now.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The UK gill does not have a very strong single symbol like m for meter.
- Common written form in English: gill
- Less common abbreviations: gi or gills in the plural
When you see the word gill in old British or Irish texts about drinks, it usually means the UK imperial gill unless it clearly says it is the US gill.
Current Use Around the World
The UK gill is not widely used in modern everyday life. Most countries now use metric units like milliliters and liters, and some still use cups or fluid ounces.
Typical current uses include:
- United Kingdom and Ireland: Sometimes in older pub traditions and in historical records for serving spirits and beer. Modern bars usually use measures in milliliters or standardized spirit shots.
- Cookbooks and family recipes: You might see gill in very old British or Irish recipes that were written before metric measures became common.
- Education and history: The gill is sometimes mentioned when teaching about imperial units or reading about life in past centuries.
Today, if you want to use a gill amount in real life, you will often convert it into milliliters, fluid ounces, or cups.
Example Conversions
Here are some simple conversions for the UK gill. All metric values are rounded to make them easy to use.
Gill to Metric
- 1 UK gill is about 142 milliliters
- 2 UK gills are about 284 milliliters
- 4 UK gills are about 568 milliliters, which is about 1 UK pint
- 1 UK gill is about 0.142 liter
Gill to UK Imperial Units
- 1 UK gill is equal to 5 UK fluid ounces
- 2 UK gills are equal to 10 UK fluid ounces
- 4 UK gills are equal to 1 UK pint
- 8 UK gills are equal to 2 UK pints, which is 1 UK quart
Gill to US Units
Remember that the UK gill is different from the US gill. These conversions show how a UK gill compares to common US measures.
- 1 UK gill is about 4.8 US fluid ounces
- 1 UK gill is a little less than 0.6 US cup
Gill to Kitchen Measures
If your recipe uses kitchen spoons, this guide can help. Here we use 1 tablespoon equal to 15 milliliters and 1 teaspoon equal to 5 milliliters.
- 1 UK gill is about 142 milliliters
- 1 UK gill is about 9 and a half tablespoons
- 1 UK gill is about 28 teaspoons
Related Units
The UK gill is part of the imperial family of volume units. Here are some related units and how they connect.
- UK fluid ounce 1 UK gill is 5 UK fluid ounces
- UK pint 1 UK pint is 4 UK gills
- UK quart 1 UK quart is 8 UK gills
- UK gallon 1 UK gallon is 32 UK gills
- Milliliter 1 UK gill is about 142 milliliters
- Liter about 7 UK gills are close to 1 liter
- US gill a different unit, equal to about 118 milliliters, smaller than the UK gill
FAQs
How much is 1 UK gill in milliliters
1 UK gill is about 142 milliliters. More exactly it is about 142.1 milliliters, but 142 milliliters is usually close enough for cooking and simple tasks.
Is the UK gill the same as the US gill
No, they are not the same. The UK gill is larger. The UK gill is about 142 milliliters, while the US gill is about 118 milliliters. If you mix them up, your drink or recipe will not be the right size.
How many UK gills are in a pint
There are 4 UK gills in 1 UK pint. So if you have a pint of milk and pour it into four equal glasses, each glass would hold one UK gill.
Is the gill still used today
The UK gill is rarely used in everyday life now. Most people use milliliters and liters or simply talk about pints and fluid ounces. You will mainly see the gill in old cookbooks, traditional bar measures from the past, and in history or math questions about imperial units.
How can I measure a UK gill without a gill marked jug
You can measure a UK gill by using other units. For example, measure about 142 milliliters on a metric jug. Or you can pour 5 UK fluid ounces if your jug or cup has ounce marks.
Why is the UK gill important to learn about
Knowing about the UK gill helps you read old recipes, understand history books about British life, and compare imperial and metric units. It also shows how people measured drinks long before most of the world used the metric system.
