An old English word for a small amount of something; in recipes, a pinch. Originally the word probably meant one of the pieces into which something had been smashed
Russ Rowlett (Director), How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement, Center for Mathematics and Science Education University of North Carolina, USA 2005. http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/dictA.html, (Unit of Meas and Covr Factors - Amer) {608}