Definitions for kettle
ˈkɛt lket·tle

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. kettle, boilernoun

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

2. kettle, kettlefulnoun

   the quantity a kettle will hold

3. kettle hole, kettlenoun

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

4. kettle, kettledrum, tympanum, tympani, timpaninoun

   a large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instrument with a drumhead that can be tuned by adjusting the tension on it

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. kettlenoun

   A vessel for boiling a liquid or cooking food, usually metal and equipped with a lid.

2. kettlenoun

   The quantity held by a kettle.

3. kettlenoun

   A vessel for boiling water for tea; a teakettle.

   Stick the kettle on and we'll have a nice cup of tea.

4. kettlenoun

   A pothole.

5. kettlenoun

   A group of airborne hawks riding a thermal.

6. kettlenoun

   A steam locomotive

7. kettlenoun

   A kettledrum.

8. kettlenoun

   A kettle hole.

9. kettleverb

   To contain demonstrators in a confined area.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Kettlenoun

   a metallic vessel, with a wide mouth, often without a cover, used for heating and boiling water or other liguids

   Etymology: [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. chezz kettle, Icel. kati small ship.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Kettle

   A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a type of pot, typically metal, specialized for boiling water over a heat source, with a lid, spout and handle, or a small kitchen appliance of similar shape that functions in a self-contained manner. Kettles can be heated either by placing on a stove, or by their own internal electric heating element in the appliance versions.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Kettle

   ket′l, n. a vessel of metal, for heating or boiling liquids: a cavity like a kettle in rock, sand, &c.: (Shak.) kettle-drum.—ns. Kett′le-drum, a musical instrument now used chiefly in orchestras and in cavalry bands, consisting of a hollow brass hemisphere with a parchment head, sounded by soft-headed elastic drumsticks: a tea-party; Kett′le-drum′mer; Kett′le-hold′er, a little mat, &c., for holding a kettle when hot.—n.pl. Kett′le-pins, skittle-pins.—A kettle of fish, or A pretty kettle of fish, a task of great difficulty, an awkward mess—most probably in this sense connected with kiddle. [A.S. cetel; Ger. kessel, Goth. katils; all perh. from L. catillus, dim. of catinus, a deep cooking-vessel.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. kettle

   The brass or metal box of a compass.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. kettle

   A type of appliance and product created and designed in various colors, components, materials, mechanisms, shapes, sizes and styles.

   Kettles are used mainly to boil water to make a hot drink or to use the hot water for another purpose.

   Submitted by MaryC on February 21, 2017  

Matched Categories

1. • Containerful
   • Geology
   • Hole
   • Percussion Instrument
   • Pot

British National Corpus

1. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'kettle' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3085

How to pronounce kettle?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say kettle in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of kettle in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of kettle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of kettle in a Sentence

1. Miguel de Cervantes:

   The pot calls the kettle black.

2. Maryam Peter from Pambla village:

   They provide raw rice to cook, the rice that they stole from the shops. They provide a kettle and ... scarves to cover up the women, people are going hungry. They are only feeding on corn and squash. No meat, nothing like that. The insurgents are not providing anything else.

3. Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary:

   The human language is like a cracked kettle on which we beat out a tune for a dancing bear, when we hope with our music to move the stars.

4. Kenneth Hodder:

   Our traditional red kettle campaign, a symbol of Christmas and Americans caring for one another, is going to be increasingly difficult this year, we believe that Christmas for millions of Americans is at risk.

5. Gustave Flaubert, Charles Bovary:

   For none of us can ever express the exact measure of his needs or his thoughts or his sorrows; and human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars.

Images & Illustrations of kettle

Popularity rank by frequency of use