ENGLISH
REFERENCE

kettle

n. countable
A1 Beginner US //ˈkɛtəɫ// UK //kˈɛtəl// ket·tle Slang

n. a pot with a handle and lid, used for boiling water. You use it to make tea, coffee, or instant soup.

n. a vessel, typically with a handle, spout, and lid, designed for heating or boiling water. Common household item; distinct from a teapot, which is used for steeping leaves.


SIMPLE

I put the kettle on to make some tea.

CONTEXTUAL

She filled the kettle with cold water and placed it on the electric stove.

COMPLEX

The whistling of the kettle marked the end of the morning silence, signaling that the household was finally awake and ready for the day.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English ketel, also chetel, from Old English ċietel (“kettle, cauldron”) and in Middle English possibly influenced by Old Norse ketill and both from Proto-Germanic *katilaz (“kettle, bucket, vessel”), of uncertain origin and formation. Usually regarded as a borrowing of Late Latin catīllus (“small bowl”), diminutive of Latin catinus (“deep bowl, vessel for cooking up or serving food”), however, the word may be Germanic confused with the Latin: compare Old English cete (“cooking pot”), Old High German chezzi (“a kettle, dish, bowl”), Icelandic kati, ketla (“a small boat”). Cognate with West Frisian tsjettel (“kettle”), Dutch ketel (“kettle”), German Kessel (“kettle”), Swedish kittel (“cauldron, kettle”), Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌻𐍃 (katils, “kettle”), Finnish kattila, Polish kocioł (“cauldron”), Czech kotel (“boiler”), Russian котёл (kotjól, “boiler, cauldron”). (watch): Cockney rhyming slang from 'kettle and hob' to 'fob' (fob watch).

Idioms2 entries

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