kettle

1 of 2

noun

ket·​tle ˈke-tᵊl 

plural kettles

1

: a metallic vessel usually used for boiling liquids

especially : teakettle

2

: kettledrum

3

a

: pothole sense 1b

b

: a steep-sided hollow without surface drainage especially in a deposit of glacial drift

4

: a usually large group of raptors (such as hawks or vultures) circling high in the sky on an updraft of warm air

… more than 500 birds have been seen riding the same spiraling thermal air current, or "kettle," as they are known to hawk-watchers.

—Rick Steelhammer

kettle

2 of 2

verb

kettled; kettling ˈket-liŋ 

ˈke-tᵊl-iŋ

; kettles

transitive verb

: to corral or contain (people) in large numbers by surrounding and forcing into an enclosed area

Police officers stood in a line in front of them but protesters seemed to think they'd be allowed through. They were not. Instead, they were kettled with orange nets, and arrested.

—Jen Doll

kettling noun

In London, over 30 students were arrested as part of an occupation at Senate House, which included police brutality and kettling.

—Lucy Uprichard

Examples of kettle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Adorable kitchenette with mini-fridge, electric kettle, and retro classic compact microwave. —Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

For Tea and Coffee Lovers Whether your bookworm's preferred source of caffeine is coffee or tea, a great tea kettle or coffee machine can make all the difference. —Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2024

Verb

Bloodied bodies with gunshot wounds being carted to hospitals; armed police kettling and attacking students in the streets; female protestors covering their faces and running from tear gas and burning cars as other students are beaten with sticks. —Devinder Bains, Vogue, 29 July 2024

Settlement is one of many The settlement comes months after the city agreed to pay several hundred other people $21,500 apiece to settle a class-action lawsuit related to a similar incident involving kettling in the Bronx. —USA TODAY, 20 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English ketel, from Old Norse ketill (akin to Old English cietel kettle), both from a prehistoric Germanic word borrowed from Latin catillus, diminutive of catinus bowl

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

2009, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing kettle

• kettle chip
• kettle of fish

Kids Definition

kettle

1 of 2 noun

ket·​tle ˈket-ᵊl 

1

: a pot for boiling liquids

2

: teakettle

kettle

2 of 2 verb

: to corral or contain (people) in large numbers by surrounding and forcing into an enclosed area