fát

Fût is a masculine French noun with several related meanings tied to cylindrical form. In everyday usage, it most commonly designates the cylindrical body of a barrel or cask.

In coopering and storage terminology, le fût is the main cylindrical part of a barrel or cask, formed by the assembly of staves (douelles) and surrounded by hoops. The ends of the vessel are typically called head or têtes. The capacity of a fût varies with its dimensions and can be described in barrels or litres in trade.

In architecture and classical sculpture, le fût refers to the shaft of a column—the vertical cylindrical element between base and capital. The term can describe both plain and fluted (cannelé) shafts and is used to discuss proportions and styling in building design.

Other uses extend to firearms and engineering, where le fût can denote the barrel of a gun or the main cylindrical body of a tool or machine component. In forestry or botany, the word may describe the trunk or main stem of a tree, particularly when measuring its height or volume after felling.

Etymology traces the word to Old French fust, relating to the notion of a sturdy, cylindrical form. The term appears in various technical fields to emphasize the outer shape and functional cylindrical body of objects.