kettle

American  

[ket-l] / ˈkɛt l /

noun

• kettles
  plural

1. a metal container in which to boil liquids, cook foods, etc.; pot.

2. a teakettle.

3. a kettledrum.

4. Geology. kettle hole.

5. an enclosed area to which demonstrators are herded for containment by police.

   Journalists were the first to be allowed to leave the kettle.

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verb (used with object)

1. to surround and contain (demonstrators) in an enclosed area.

   Most demonstrators were too distracted to notice they were being kettled.

kettle British  

/ ˈkɛtəl /

noun

1. a metal or plastic container with a handle and spout for boiling water

2. any of various metal containers for heating liquids, cooking fish, etc

3. a large metal vessel designed to withstand high temperatures, used in various industrial processes such as refining and brewing

4. informal an enclosed space formed by a police cordon in order to contain people involved in a public demonstration

5. short for kettle hole

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verb

1. informal (tr) (of a police force) to contain (people involved in a public demonstration) in an enclosed space

kettle Scientific  

/ kĕt′l /

1. A steep, bowl-shaped hollow in ground once covered by a glacier. Kettles are believed to form when a block of ice left by a glacier becomes covered by sediments and later melts, leaving a hollow. They are usually tens of meters deep and up to tens of kilometers in diameter and often contain surface water.

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kettle Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing kettle

• pot calling the kettle black

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kettles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kettle

First recorded before 900; Middle English ketel, from Old Norse ketill, ultimately derived from Latin catillus, diminutive of catīnus “pot”; replacing Old English cetel, cietel, ultimately from Latin as above; compare German Kessel

Explanation

A kettle is a pot made for boiling water. Most kettles are metal, with a lid and a spout. If you're in the mood for a cup of tea, it might be time to "put the kettle on." You can use the word kettle to mean "metal cooking pot," although it's mostly used for the kind you use to make your tea or instant soup. If you want to comment on the incredible awkwardness of a situation, you can use the colloquial phrase, "Well, this is a fine kettle of fish," and if you criticize a friend for something you're also guilty of, she might say, "That's the pot calling the kettle black!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kettle kettles

Police may close roads, establish perimeters, kettle crowds, redirect traffic, block movement, and call those acts public order.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

The problem is similar to mineral scale building up inside a tea kettle or clogging a shower head over time, except seawater contains far higher concentrations of dissolved salts.

From Science Daily ● May 31, 2026

"They started coming from everywhere, from the wi-fi router, under the kettle, the toaster and all the switchboards. We would cook and they would keep coming from the sockets, from under the microwave."

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

Yet within the time it might take to boil water in a kettle, the chaos had cooled enough for a structure to emerge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Alexander had even filled a small, portable tin kettle with water from a nearby stream so Penelope could put it on to boil for tea.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Millions of TVs - and kettles being boiled for a half-time caffeine boost - along with fridges being opened and closed as people get cold drinks and snacks would cause surges, said Neso.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

"That's especially a risk when you're using high-powered products such as heaters, kettles, hairdryers, cooking appliances," Ms Kane said.

From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025

Green beans and other sides were prepared in ovens instead of traditional stovetop kettles, and food was reheated when needed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025

The food was chilled and reheated when needed, promising fresher veggies than ones cooked in kettles and held until served.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2025

She supervised while the last of the food was transferred from the iron kettles into great china basins, which the cook and the boy carried from the kitchen to some other part of the house.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

Related Words

• boiler
• cauldron
• pot
• steamer