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cutlery

American  
[kuht-luh-ree] / ˈkʌt lə ri /

noun

  1. cutting instruments collectively, especially knives for cutting food.

  2. utensils, as knives, forks, and spoons, used at the table for serving and eating food.

  3. the trade or business of a cutler.

cutlery British  
/ ˈkʌtlərɪ /

noun

  1. implements used for eating, such as knives, forks, and spoons

  2. instruments used for cutting

  3. the art or business of a cutler

"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

Etymology

Origin of cutlery

1300–50; Middle English cutellerie < Middle French coutelerie; cutler, -y 3

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Certain coins, pieces of jewelry or select flatware or serving pieces — even grandma’s cutlery — can have added value.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

Cups and cutlery skated across the table in the mess.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

She then adds square-shaped plates, plain silver cutlery, wine glasses and orange napkins.

From Salon • Nov. 18, 2025

A WhatsApp exchange in November 2024 between Wandelt and Mrs Spragg included jokes about going through the McCanns' bins and stealing cutlery from a restaurant after they visited to obtain DNA, the court heard.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

Dirty plates and cutlery were stacked on a steel trolley.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.