Word
cutlery
Phoneticscut·lery
US/ˈkətɫɝi/
UK/kˈʌtləɹi/
Uncountable noun
Definition
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.
Examples
“Please put the clean cutlery back in the kitchen drawer.”
“The waiter arrived with fresh cutlery after we ordered our main courses.”
“In formal dining etiquette, the arrangement of cutlery follows a specific order, starting from the outside and moving inward with each successive course.”
Examples
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.
Etymology
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.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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