Gager

/ˈɡeɪdʒər/ noun

Definition

A person whose job is to measure and assess the capacity or contents of containers, especially for taxation or commerce purposes.

Etymology

From 'gage' (to measure) plus the agent suffix '-er,' meaning one who performs an action. This occupational noun was particularly common in medieval and early modern trade and customs work.

Kelly Says

Gagers were such an important part of medieval commerce that they had specific guilds and regulations—they were literally the human quality-control checkers before modern industry existed, and their work determined what people paid in taxes!

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