utensil
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
These four words all name objects that help you get a job done, but each has a different feel. Tool is the widest — it stretches from a hammer to a piece of software. Implement is more formal and often appears in farming or skilled manual work, as in farm implements or a writing implement. Instrument suggests careful, precise, or technical use; doctors hold surgical instruments and musicians play musical instruments. Device usually points at something mechanical or electronic with one clear function, like a kitchen device such as a blender. Utensil, by contrast, stays small and domestic: a handheld, non-powered object you reach for in the kitchen or around the house, such as a whisk, a ladle, or a peeler.
Common collocations
Nouns
- kitchen utensils
- cooking utensils
- utensil drawer
- utensil holder
- utensil set
- utensil rack
Phrases
- a set of utensils
- a collection of utensils
- wash the utensils
- dry the utensils
Prepositions
- utensil for (stirring/serving)
- utensil in (the kitchen/the drawer)
- utensil with (a long handle)
Etymology
Utensil traces back to the Latin noun ūtensilia ('things suitable for use'), built on the verb ūtī ('to use'). It reached English in the 14th century through Old French ustensile, where it first labelled any useful household article. As kitchens became more equipped, the word's meaning narrowed to the handheld cooking and household items it most often names today.