This is a Wednesday’s Wonderful Words post, in which I chose a word, well-know or otherwise, and discuss why I think it’s so wonderful.
1. A metal container in which to boil liquids, cook foods, etc.; pot.
2. A metal or plastic container with a handle and spout for boiling water
3. A large metal vessel designed to withstand high temperatures, used in various industrial processes such as refining and brewing
4. A teakettle.
5. A kettledrum.
6. Geology. Kettle hole. A depression in a glacial outwash drift made by the melting of a detached mass of glacial ice that became wholly or partly buried. When filled with water they are called kettle lakes. Most kettles are circular in shape because melting blocks of ice tend to become rounded; distorted or branching depressions may result from extremely irregular ice masses.
13th Century: From Old Norse ketill; related to Old English ketel, Old High German kezzil; all ultimately from Latin catillus a little pot, from catīnus pot. Replaced Old English cetil; which was also derived from Latin catillus leaving some disputes about the origin of the word. Continue reading