This masculine noun refers to a specific unit of liquid measurement in the ancient world, roughly equivalent to the Hebrew bath. In John 2:6, it describes the capacity of the stone water jars at the wedding in Cana—each holding two or three measures. The term appears across multiple languages consistently as a unit of measurement (Spanish medidas, French mesure, German Eimer). Classical sources indicate it was equivalent to the Roman amphora, making each jar capable of holding 18-27 gallons of water that Jesus transformed into wine.