English Reference
Noun

cutlery

n. uncountable
B1 Intermediate US /ˈkətɫɝi/ UK /kˈʌtləɹi/ cut·lery UK spelling cutleries

n.the knives, forks, and spoons that you use for eating and serving food.

n.knives, forks, and spoons used for eating or serving food. Often refers to the set of tools collectively rather than individual items.


SIMPLE

Please put the clean cutlery back in the kitchen drawer.

CONTEXTUAL

The waiter arrived with fresh cutlery after we ordered our main courses.

COMPLEX

In formal dining etiquette, the arrangement of cutlery follows a specific order, starting from the outside and moving inward with each successive course.

Pitfall
I need to buy some new cutleries.I need to buy some new cutlery.

Cutlery is uncountable and does not have a plural form.


From Middle English cotellerie, cutleri (“the cutler’s art or craft”), from Old French coutelerie (modern French coutellerie).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old French coutelerie
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated