kettle

kettle — noun

1. A household container that has a cover, a grip, and a pouring tube, used to heat

1.名詞A2
釋義

A household container that has a cover, a grip, and a pouring tube, used to heat water until it bubbles.

例句

Hari filled the electric kettle with water and switched it on for his morning tea.

electric kettle + fill + switch on

The metal kettle on the stove whistled as steam poured from its spout.

stove-top kettle + whistle + steam from spout

同義詞
  • boiler

    a general term for a device that heats water, but not used for kitchen kettles in everyday speech

  • pot

    a broader cooking container; a pot does not have a spout and is not designed specifically for boiling water

用法筆記

Kettles are a standard kitchen appliance in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, where they are used several times a day for making tea. Electric kettles heat water faster than stove-top models.

常見錯誤

❌Can you pass me the kettle?' (when asking for tea to be served).
✅Can you pass me the teapot?
💡A kettle heats water; a teapot is for steeping and serving brewed tea.

2. The friendly social habit of boiling water, especially the British custom of tur

2.名詞B1
釋義

The friendly social habit of boiling water, especially the British custom of turning on the kettle to offer a guest a hot drink like tea or coffee.

例句

When the book club meets on Tuesdays, Tamar puts the kettle on before anyone sits.

put the kettle on for guests

After walking in the snowy park, Selim put the kettle on to warm everyone up.

put the kettle on after an outdoor activity

同義詞
  • boil the kettle

    a neutral alternative that works in all varieties of English, including American

  • stick the kettle on

    more informal British variant, common in casual conversation

文法句型

put the + kettle + on

用法筆記

Common in British English. The phrase 'put the kettle on' is a fixed social expression that implies starting the process of making a hot drink, not physically placing a kettle onto a surface.

常見錯誤

❌I will put the kettle on the table.' (when meaning you are about to make tea).
✅I will put the kettle on.
💡Adding 'on the table' changes the meaning to a physical placement, not the act of boiling water for drinks.

3. A crowd-control method in which police surround a group of demonstrators with li

3.名詞C1
釋義

A crowd-control method in which police surround a group of demonstrators with linked arms, vehicles, or barriers, preventing anyone from leaving the area.

例句

Police formed a kettle, linking arms to block exits and stop protesters reaching the government building.

form a kettle + purpose: stop marching

Several MPs criticised the kettle tactic for trapping innocent bystanders with demonstrators.

kettle as a policing tactic

同義詞
  • containment

    the broader, more formal term for preventing a crowd from moving; less specific than 'kettle'

  • cordon

    a line of police preventing entry to an area, whereas a kettle prevents exit

文法句型

form a kettle

in / inside a kettle

用法筆記

This sense appears mainly in UK news coverage of demonstrations. It gained widespread attention after police used the tactic during the 2009 G20 summit protests in London. In formal legal writing, the term 'containment' is often preferred.

常見錯誤

❌The kettle of protesters lasted three hours.
✅The kettle lasted three hours.
💡The word 'kettle' itself refers to the containment operation, not the crowd inside it.

kettle — verb