# kettle

/ˈkɛtəɫ/ (US) · /kˈɛtəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/kettle
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. water boiler

noun · CEFR A1

a container with a lid and a handle used for boiling water, usually for tea or coffee.

For teachers: a metal or plastic vessel, often electric, designed specifically for boiling water for beverages or cooking.

- I'll put the kettle on and make us a nice cup of tea.
- Modern electric kettles are equipped with automatic shut-off sensors to prevent the heating element from burning out once the water reaches boiling point.

### 2. crowd control

noun · CEFR C1 · British English

a situation where police surround a group of protesters to keep them in one place.

For teachers: a police tactic or the resulting formation where a large crowd is confined within a cordoned area.

- The protesters were stuck in a police kettle for several hours without water.
- Civil liberties groups criticised the use of the kettle, arguing that detaining peaceful demonstrators for hours was a violation of their rights.

### 3. geological hole

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a bowl-shaped hole in the ground formed by melting ice from a glacier.

For teachers: a depression in a glacial outwash drift made by the melting of a detached mass of glacial ice.

- The park is famous for its deep kettle lakes formed thousands of years ago.
- The landscape is dotted with kettles and kames, providing clear evidence of the retreating ice sheet during the last glacial period.

### 4. group of birds

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a group of large birds, like hawks, flying together in a circle.

For teachers: a collective noun for a group of raptors circling in a thermal, typically observed during migration.

- We looked up and saw a kettle of hawks rising high on the warm air.
- Birdwatchers gathered at the ridge to witness a massive kettle of broad-winged hawks gaining altitude before continuing their southward journey.

### 5. to surround a crowd

verb · CEFR C1 · British English

when police surround a group of people to stop them from moving or leaving.

For teachers: to confine a group of demonstrators or protesters within a limited area as a method of crowd control.

- The police decided to kettle the marchers at the end of the street.
- The decision to kettle the crowd was met with significant resistance, leading to a tense standoff between the officers and the trapped activists.

Usage: The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, usually a group of people.

## Examples

- I put the kettle on to make some tea.
- She filled the kettle with cold water and placed it on the electric stove.
- The whistling of the kettle marked the end of the morning silence, signaling that the household was finally awake and ready for the day.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.