- Most Commonly: A kettle is a metallic pot with a handle, spout, and lid, primarily used for boiling water. These kettles are often used for making tea, coffee, or instant meals.
- Less Common: In some contexts, “kettle” can refer to a larger metal cooking pot used for boiling or stewing various things, not just water. This usage is more common in the US.
- Scientific: In geology, a kettle refers to a steep-sided hollow formed in glacial deposits. When a block of ice left behind by a glacier melts, it can leave behind a depression in the ground that fills with water.
- Informal: “A fine kettle of fish” is a British idiom that means a difficult or troublesome situation.
- Figurative: The phrase “calling the kettle black” refers to someone criticizing another person for a fault that they themselves possess. It’s basically saying “you’re no better than them.”
A kettle has a few different meanings, depending on the context:
