English Reference

Word

stove

US/ˈstoʊv/

UK/stˈəʊv/

Definitions

01cooking appliance

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Cooking

n. a large piece of kitchen equipment used for cooking food, usually with a flat top and an oven.

n. an apparatus for cooking food, typically consisting of a hob or stovetop and often an integrated oven.

“She left a pot of soup simmering on the stove while she cleaned the kitchen.”

“Modern electric stoves often feature induction technology, which heats the cookware directly through magnetic induction rather than thermal conduction.”

Usage

In British English, 'cooker' is more common for the whole appliance, while 'stove' often refers specifically to the top part or a heating unit.

Synonyms

02heating unit

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a closed metal box used to burn wood or coal to keep a room warm.

n. a closed apparatus, often made of cast iron, designed to burn fuel such as wood or coal for space heating.

“We sat by the wood-burning stove to warm our hands after the long walk.”

“The cabin was equipped with a traditional pot-bellied stove that provided sufficient warmth for the entire living area during the winter months.”

Synonyms

Etymology

From Middle Dutch stove and/or Middle Low German stove (compare Dutch stoof (“foot stove”), German Low German Stuve, Stuuv), both from Proto-West Germanic stubu (“heated room, bathroom, stove”), further origin uncertain. The Germanic words are very old, and are the source of the Slavic and Romance terms. It is often speculated that the Germanic terms were borrowed from Vulgar Latin extūfa, extūfāre (“to heat with steam”), from Latin ex- + tūfus (“hot vapor”), from Ancient Greek τῦφος (tûphos, “fever”). Cognates Cognate with Old English stofa (“bathroom, bathhouse”), stufbæþ (“hot-air bath”), Old High German stuba (“heated room, bathroom”) (whence German Stube (“living room, room, parlour”), Hungarian szoba (“room”)), Old Norse stofa (whence Danish stue (“living room, room”), Faroese stova (“living room, house”), Icelandic stofa (“living room”), Norwegian Bokmål stue (“cottage, cabin, living room”), Norwegian Nynorsk stove (“cottage, cabin, living room”), Swedish stuga (“cottage, cabin, living room”)). Doublet of stufa.

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

Related words

This entry

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.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL 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: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
Frequency
Frequent
Level
A2 · Elementary
Updated

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