cutlery

cutlery — noun

1. the handheld metal tools used during meals — especially the knife, fork, and spo

1.nounB1
Definition

the handheld metal tools used during meals — especially the knife, fork, and spoon — that people set out on the table or pick up to eat with.

Example

Before the guests arrived, Camille set out the polished cutlery on the dining table.

collocation: polished cutlery

The restaurant owner replaced the old cutlery with new stainless-steel sets.

collocation: stainless-steel cutlery

Common collocations
  • polished cutlery
  • stainless-steel cutlery
  • silver cutlery
  • a set of cutlery
  • a piece of cutlery
  • wash / dry / arrange the cutlery
  • cutlery drawer
  • cutlery set
Synonyms
  • flatware

    Common term in American English, usually for stainless-steel or metal eating utensils.

  • silverware

    Can refer to actual silver pieces or metal eating utensils in general; more frequent in US homes.

  • tableware

    A broader category that includes plates, bowls, and glasses in addition to utensils.

Grammar Patterns

a set / piece of cutlery

adjective + cutlery (stainless-steel / silver / polished cutlery)

Usage Note

In American English, the words 'silverware' or 'flatware' are more common for eating utensils; 'cutlery' in US contexts more often refers to cutting implements (sense 2).

Common Mistakes

I need to buy cutlery for my new apartment — plates, cups, and bowls.
I need to buy cutlery for my new apartment
knives, forks, and spoons.' — Cutlery refers to handheld eating tools, not to dishware or glassware.

2. knives and other sharp-edged instruments designed for cutting materials in activ

2.nounB2
Definition

knives and other sharp-edged instruments designed for cutting materials in activities such as craftwork, gardening, or leatherworking.

Example

The carpenter sharpened all his cutting cutlery at the end of each workday.

collocation: cutting cutlery

Renata stores her craft cutlery in a leather roll to protect the sharp blades.

collocation: craft cutlery

Common collocations
  • sharp cutlery
  • craft cutlery
  • professional cutlery
  • cutting cutlery
  • a set of cutlery
  • a piece of cutlery
Synonyms
  • blades

    Focuses on the sharp part of the tool rather than the whole implement; often used for interchangeable knife heads.

  • cutting tools

    A broader category that can include non-bladed cutting instruments such as wire cutters or saws.

Grammar Patterns

adjective + cutlery (sharp / craft / professional cutlery)

cutlery for [activity]

Usage Note

This sense is more common in American English and in professional contexts such as woodworking, tailoring, and leather craft. Unlike sense 1, it does not include forks or spoons — only bladed implements.

Common Mistakes

The chef sharpened her cutlery before the dinner service.' (acceptable but ambiguous)
The chef sharpened her kitchen knives before the dinner service.
If referring to knives used for food preparation, 'kitchen knives' or 'chef's knives' is clearer than 'cutlery,' which in British English usually means tableware.

Word family

  • cutler
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cutlery is the standard term in British English for eating utensils — knives, forks, and spoons. Flatware and silverware are the preferred terms in American English: flatware typically refers to stainless-steel or everyday utensils, while silverware can mean actual silver pieces or simply any metal eating utensils by convention. Tableware is the broadest category, covering plates, bowls, cups, and serving dishes as well as utensils. For example, a host might ask a guest to 'set the table with the silverware' (American English) or 'lay out the cutlery' (British English), but would ask them to 'bring out the tableware' only if plates and bowls were also needed.

cutlery ↗flatwaresilverwaretableware

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a piece of cutlery
  • a set of cutlery

Prepositions

  • cutlery for [purpose / activity]

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'cutlery' entered English from Old French 'coutellerie', meaning the trade of knife-making or a place where knives are sold. This French term traces back to Latin 'culter', meaning 'knife' (a blade used for cutting). Over centuries, the meaning broadened from knife-making to the tools themselves, and by the 1800s 'cutlery' in British English had come to refer especially to the set of knives, forks, and spoons used at the dining table.