A traditional British unit of volume or weight used for dry commodities such as coal or lime. As a volume measure, the chaldron is equal to 36 bushels, or 288 British Imperial gallons; this is equivalent to 46.237 cubic feet or 1.3091 cubic meters. As a measure for coal, the chalder equals 1/8 keel or 53 hundredweight (5936 pounds or 2692.52 kilograms). The words "chalder," "chaldron," and "cauldron" are English spellings of the same old French word, which originally meant a large kettle