Link Centre Dictionary

kettle

UK/ˈkɛ.təl/ US/ˈkʰɛtᵊɫ̩/ fairly common slang

noun

1.

a metal pot for stewing or boiling; usually has a lid

Synonyms
2.

the quantity a kettle will hold

Synonyms
3.

(geology) a hollow (typically filled by a lake) that results from the melting of a mass of ice trapped in glacial deposits

Synonyms
4.

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).

Phrases

  • a watched kettle never boils
  • cat calling the kettle black
  • cheese kettle
  • fish kettle
  • giant kettle
  • giant's kettle
  • Kelly Kettle
  • kettle bottom

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.