kettle

Etymology 1

From Middle English ketel, also chetel, from Old English ċietel (“kettle, cauldron”) and in Middle English possibly influenced by Old Norse ketill and both from Proto-Germanic *katilaz (“kettle, bucket, vessel”), of uncertain origin and formation. Usually regarded as a borrowing of Late Latin catīllus (“small bowl”), diminutive of Latin catinus (“deep bowl, vessel for cooking up or serving food”), however, the word may be Germanic confused with the Latin: compare Old English cete (“cooking pot”), Old High German chezzi (“a kettle, dish, bowl”), Icelandic kati, ketla (“a small boat”). Cognate with West Frisian tsjettel (“kettle”), Dutch ketel (“kettle”), German Kessel (“kettle”), Swedish kittel (“cauldron”), Swedish kittel (“kettle”), Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌻𐍃 (katils, “kettle”), Finnish kattila. Compare also Russian котёл (kotjól, “boiler, cauldron”).

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 or appliance used to boil water for the preparation of hot beverages and other foodstuffs.
   Stick the kettle on and we'll have a nice cup of tea.
4. (geology) A kettle hole, sometimes any pothole.
5. (ornithology, collective) A group of raptors riding a thermal, especially when migrating.
   a kettle of hawks
   Kettles can consist of thousands of birds migrating together. 2010, Jean-Luc E. Cartron, Raptors of New Mexico
6. (rail transport, slang) A steam locomotive
7. (music) A kettledrum.
8. An instance of kettling; a group of protesters or rioters confined in a limited area.
9. (slang) A watch. Cockney rhyming slang from 'kettle and hob' to 'fob' (fob watch)

verb

1. (originally Britain, of the police) To contain demonstrators in a confined area.
   […] 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. 2009, John O'Connor, G20: The upside of kettling: The Guardian
2. (intransitive) Of a boiler: to make a whistling sound like the boiling of a kettle, indicative of various types of fault.

Etymology 2

noun

1. Alternative form of kiddle (“kind of fishweir”)