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noun

teakettle

TEE-ket-ul
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Teakettle (noun) means a kettle used to boil water for making tea or other hot drinks. Example: “She put the teakettle on the stove to boil.”

noun
1
A kettle used to boil water for making tea or other hot drinks.
"She put the teakettle on the stove to boil."
"The teakettle whistled loudly in the kitchen."
"He filled the teakettle from the tap before breakfast."

How to use teakettle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA teakettle is the pot you boil water in to make tea.

When to use it

Outside the US, teakettle can sound somewhat dated; kettle is the more usual everyday word there.

Memory tip

In American English, reach for teakettle; in British English, kettle is the natural choice.

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Common pairings
put the teakettle on fill the teakettle the teakettle whistled boil the teakettle
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She put the _____ on the stove to boil.

Etymology

Teakettle is a straightforward compound of tea and kettle, formed within English rather than borrowed from another language. It simply names a kettle whose job is boiling water for tea.

Origin: English

Related words

Rhymes for teakettle

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Frequently asked questions

What is a teakettle used for?
It is used to boil water, usually so the water can be poured over tea leaves or a tea bag.
Is teakettle the same as kettle?
Yes, a teakettle is a kettle for boiling water for tea; the word simply joins tea and kettle together.
Is teakettle mainly American English?
It is the everyday word in the US, while outside the US it can sound a little old-fashioned, with kettle being the more usual term.
What is the meaning of teakettle?
"teakettle" (noun) means a kettle used to boil water for making tea or other hot drinks.

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