colander

[kuhl-uh n-der, kol-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR colander ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a metal or plastic container with a perforated bottom, for draining and straining foods.

RELATED WORDS

utensil, sifter

Nearby words

Also cullender.

Origin of colander

1400–50; late Middle English colyndore, perhaps (with nasalization) < Old Provençal colador < Medieval Latin cōlātōrium, equivalent to Latin cōlā(re) to strain (verbal derivative of cōlum strainer) + -tōrium -tory²

Can be confusedcalendar calender colander

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for colander

Like the colander, in use since ancient times, it is an example of a kitchen technology that has stuck.
The Strange Way We Eat: Bee Wilson’s ‘Consider the Fork’|Bee Wilson|October 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The table fork is far less time-honored than such objects as the colander, the waffle iron, the bain-marie.
The Strange Way We Eat: Bee Wilson’s ‘Consider the Fork’|Bee Wilson|October 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Strain the marinade through a colander, reserving the liquid and reserving the bacon, vegetables, herbs, and spices separately.
Fresh Picks|Daniel Boulud|November 17, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Use the back of the spoon to press the eggplant flesh against the side of the colander to remove excess water.
Into the Heart of Turkey|Sophie Menin|September 28, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid before draining the spaghetti in a colander.
Eco-Chic Safari|Sophie Menin|July 27, 2010|DAILY BEAST
When done, force them through a colander or a sieve, add the sugar to the pulp, and return to the stove.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 5|Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Cover cranberries with water and cook until soft; mash through a colander.
Cloud City Cook-Book|Mrs. William H. Nash
When done mash through a colander; then put back in the same water, throwing away the slices of bacon.
Housekeeping in Old Virginia|Marion Cabell Tyree
Let it boil over a slow fire till it is reduced to two quarts; then work it through a colander with a wooden spoon.
The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory;|Charlotte Campbell Bury
Drain in a colander and allow cold water to run over it for several seconds.
Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled during Her Visit among the "Pennsylvania Germans"|Edith M. Thomas

British Dictionary definitions for colander

colander

cullender

noun

a pan with a perforated bottom for straining or rinsing foods

Word Origin for colander

C14 colyndore, probably from Old Provençal colador, via Medieval Latin, from Late Latin cōlāre to filter, from Latin cōlum sieve

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for colander

colander

mid-14c., coloundour, probably altered from Medieval Latin colatorium "strainer" (with parasitic -n-) from Latin colatus, past participle of colare "to strain," from colum "sieve, strainer, wicker fishing net," of uncertain origin. Cognate with French couloir, Spanish colador, Italian colatojo.