Etymology

Either from , or from , from West Germanic *katil, from , diminutive of . Cognate with Gothic , Danish (spelling before the writing reform of 1948: ), Dutch , German , Norwegian West Frisian tsjettel and related to Russian .

Noun

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

   To cook pasta, you first need to put the kettle on.

   There's a hot kettle of soup on the stove.

2. The quantity held by a kettle.
3. A vessel for boiling water for tea; a teakettle.

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

4. A pothole.
5. The collective noun for a group of airborne hawks.
6. A steam locomotive
7. A kettledrum.
8. A kettle hole.

Usage notes

In British English, if not specified otherwise, the kettle usually refers to a vessel for boiling the water for tea.

Verb

1. To contain demonstrators in a confined area.
   • 2009, John O'Connor, G20: The upside of kettling, Guardian, pages http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/apr/02/police-g20-protest-kettling:

     ... to contain demonstrators for hours in a confined spot. This tactic, known as kettling, is seen by some as an attempt to prevent people lawfully demonstrating.