Word: Kettle

Pronunciation

/ˈkɛt.l/

Definitions

• Noun: A metal container with a handle and spout, used for boiling water or making tea, coffee, or other hot beverages. It usually has a lid and a heating element that can be placed on a stove or plugged into an electrical outlet. For example: “She filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove to boil for tea.”

Example sentence: “The whistle from the boiling kettle signaled that it was time to make a cup of coffee.”

Phrases

• “A watched pot never boils, but a kettle always does.” - A proverb suggesting that waiting impatiently for something makes it seem like it takes longer to happen.
• “To cry over spilled milk” can sometimes be modified to “to cry over a boiled-over kettle”, referring to becoming upset over a minor mishap or accident that has already happened and cannot be undone.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “After a long day, he found solace in the ritual of warming up the teapot with his electric kettle.”
• “She replaced her old kettle with a new one that had temperature control settings for different types of tea.”

Synonyms

• Tea kettle
• Hot water heater (informal)
• Electric kettle
• Saucepan (in some contexts where boiling water is the main function)
• Cauldron (archaic or literary reference)

Additional Meanings

• Noun (dated): The belly or pot of a still, used for distilling liquids.
• Noun (obsolete): A large cauldron or pot for cooking, especially one used for brewing beer or preparing food for a large number of people.

Idioms

• “As mad as a hatter”: This idiom is not directly related to ‘kettle’, but interestingly, the original meaning of this phrase may have originated from the effects of mercury poisoning among hat-makers which caused symptoms similar to madness; however, a mistaken modern interpretation likens it to the boiling action of a kettle, suggesting uncontrollable agitation or excitement.

Please note that the idiomatic usage above doesn’t directly involve the standard meaning of the word ‘kettle’.