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Webster 1913 Edition

Kettle

Ket′tle

(kĕt′t’l)
,
Noun.
[OE.
ketel
; cf. AS.
cetel
,
cetil
,
cytel
; akin to D.
kjedel
, G.
kessel
, OHG.
chezzil
, Icel.
ketill
, SW.
kittel
, Dan.
kjedel
, Goth.
katils
; all perh. fr. L.
catillus
, dim. of
catinus
a deep vessel, bowl; but cf. also OHG.
chezzī
kettle, Icel.
kati
small ship.]
A metallic vessel, with a wide mouth, often without a cover, used for heating and boiling water or other liguids.
Kettle pins
,
ninepins; skittles.
[Obs.]
Shelton.
–
Kettle stitch
(Bookbinding)
,
the stitch made in sewing at the head and tail of a book.
Knight.

Webster 1828 Edition

Kettle

KET'TLE

,
Noun.
A vessel of iron or other metal, with a wide mouth, usually without a cover, used for heating and boiling water or other liquor.
Among the Tartars, a kettle represents a family, or as many as feed from one kettle.
Among the Dutch, a battery of mortars sunk in the earth, is called a kettle.

Definition 2024

kettle

kettle

English

Tea kettle

Noun

kettle ‎(plural kettles)

  1. A vessel for boiling a liquid or cooking food, usually metal and equipped with a lid.
    To cook pasta, you first need to put the kettle on.
    There's a hot kettle of soup on the stove.
  2. The quantity held by a kettle.
  3. (Britain) A vessel for boiling water for tea; a teakettle.
    Stick the kettle on and we'll have a nice cup of tea.
  4. (geology) A kettle hole, sometimes any pothole.
  5. (ornithology, collective) A collective term for a group of raptors riding a thermal, especially when migrating.
    • 2006, Keith L. Bildstein, Migrating Raptors of the World: Their Ecology & Conservation - Page 76:
      The term kettle refers to a group of raptors wheeling or circling in a thermal.
    • 2010, Jean-Luc E. Cartron, Raptors of New Mexico:
      Kettles can consist of thousands of birds migrating together.
  6. (rail transport, slang) A steam locomotive
  7. (music) A kettledrum.
  8. An instance of kettling; a group of protesters or rioters confined in a limited area.
Usage notes

In most varieties of English outside the United States (UK, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian), if not specified otherwise, kettle usually refers to a vessel for boiling the water for tea.

Derived terms
Translations

See also

Verb

kettle ‎(third-person singular simple present kettles, present participle kettling, simple past and past participle kettled)

  1. (Britain, of the police) To contain demonstrators in a confined area.
    • 2009, John O'Connor, G20: The upside of kettling, The Guardian :
      […] to contain demonstrators for hours in a confined spot. This tactic, known as kettling, is seen by some as an attempt to prevent people lawfully demonstrating.

Etymology 2

Noun

kettle ‎(plural kettles)

  1. Alternative form of kiddle (kind of fishweir)

References

  1. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary 2ed. "kettle"

Etymology

From Middle English ketel, also chetel, from Old Norse ketill and Old English cytel, cetel, citel ‎(“kettle, cauldron”), 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 catinus ‎(“deep bowl, vessel for cooking up or serving food”), however, the word may be Germanic confused with the Latin: compare Old High German chezzi ‎(“a kettle, dish, bowl”), Old English cete ‎(“cooking pot”), Icelandic kati, ketla ‎(“a small boat”). Cognate with West Frisian tsjettel ‎(“kettle”), Dutch ketel ‎(“kettle”), German Kessel ‎(“kettle”), Swedish kittel ‎(“cauldron”), Swedish kittel ‎(“kettle”), Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌻𐍃 ‎(katils, “kettle”). Compare also Russian котёл ‎(kotjól, “boiler, cauldron”).[1]

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) enPR: kĕt'(ə)l, IPA(key): /ˈkɛtəl/
  • Rhymes: -ɛtəl

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