different between kettle vs kittle

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: k?t'(?)l, IPA^(key): /?k?.t?l/, [?k??t???]
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?.t?l/, [?k?????]
• (dated, regional US) IPA^(key): /?k?tl?/
• Rhymes: -?t?l

Etymology 1

From Middle English ketel, also chetel, from Old Norse ketill and Old English ?ietel (“kettle, cauldron”), both from Proto-Germanic *katilaz (“kettle, bucket, vessel”), of uncertain origin and formation. Usually regarded as a borrowing of Late Latin cat?llus (“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 High German chezzi (“a kettle, dish, bowl”), Old English cete (“cooking pot”), 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 ???????????????????????? (katils, “kettle”), Finnish kattila. Compare also Russian ????? (kotjól, “boiler, cauldron”).

Noun

kettle (plural kettles)

1. A vessel for boiling a liquid or cooking food, usually metal and equipped with a lid.

2. The quantity held by a kettle.
3. (Britain) A vessel or appliance used to boil water for the preparation of hot beverages and other foodstuffs.

   Synonym: teakettle

4. (geology) A kettle hole, sometimes any pothole.
6. (ornithology, collective) A group of raptors riding a thermal, especially when migrating.
   • 2010, Jean-Luc E. Cartron, Raptors of New Mexico:

     Kettles can consist of thousands of birds migrating together.

7. (rail transport, slang) A steam locomotive
8. (music) A kettledrum.
9. An instance of kettling; a group of protesters or rioters confined in a limited area.

Usage notes

In most varieties of English outside the United States (UK, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian), if not specified otherwise, kettle usually refers to a vessel or appliance used to boil water.

Derived terms

• kettle king
• kettle hat
• kettle helmet
• kettle of fish
• teakettle or tea kettle

Translations

Verb

kettle (third-person singular simple present kettles, present participle kettling, simple past and past participle kettled)

1. (Britain, of the police) To contain demonstrators in a confined area.
   • 2009, John O'Connor, G20: The upside of kettling, The Guardian [1]:

     […] 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.

Further reading

• kettle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• kettle (birds) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

Noun

kettle (plural kettles)

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

References

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English kitelen, from Old English citelian (“to tickle”), from Proto-West Germanic *kitil?n, from Proto-Germanic *kitil?n?, frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *kit?n? (“to tickle”), from Proto-Indo-European *geid- (“to stick, jab, tickle”). Cognate with Dutch kittelen, kietelen (“to tickle”), Low German kettelen, ketelen (“to tickle”), German kitzeln (“to tickle”), Icelandic kitla (“to tickle”), Swedish kittla, kittsla, Danish kilde and perhaps Old Armenian ???- (kic-, “to sting, bite”). Compare tickle.

Alternative forms

• kittel

Verb

kittle (third-person singular simple present kittles, present participle kittling, simple past and past participle kittled)

1. (transitive, Scotland and Northern England) To tickle, to touch lightly.

Adjective

kittle (comparative kittler, superlative kittlest)

1. (Scotland and Northern England) Ticklish.
2. (Scotland and Northern England) Not easily managed

   Synonyms: troublesome, difficult, variable

Etymology 2

From Middle English kitelen, from Old Norse kjetla (“to bring forth young”), equivalent to kit +? -le.

Verb

kittle (third-person singular simple present kittles, present participle kittling, simple past and past participle kittled)

1. (intransitive, Scotland and Northern England) To bring forth young, as a cat; to kitten; to litter.

References

• kittle in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• Northumberland Words, English Dialect Society, R. Oliver Heslop, 1893–4
• A List of words and phrases in everyday use by the natives of Hetton-le-Hole in the County of Durham, F.M.T.Palgrave, English Dialect Society vol.74, 1896, [1]
• Todd's Geordie Words and Phrases, George Todd, Newcastle, 1977[2]

Anagrams

• Kittel