Standard Lemma guide

utensil

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /juˈtɛn.səl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Philippines: /ˈju.tɛn.sɪl/
  • rhymes with -ɛnsəl
  • CMU ARPABET: Y UW0 T EH1 N S AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An instrument or device for domestic use, especially in the kitchen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We have convenient storage for all the kitchen/eating utensils.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Specifically, a eating utensil (fork, table knife, or spoon); a piece of flatware or cutlery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: often, plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A useful small tool, implement, or vessel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He stocked up on old-style writing utensils.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an implement for practical use (especially in a household)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: implement

Narrower terms: ceramic ware, copperware, funnel, kitchen utensil, server

History

Etymology

From Middle English utensyl, from Old French utensile, from Latin ūtēnsilis (“useful, usable”).

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: при́бор (príbor) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Bulgarian: съд (sǎd) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Catalan: utensili — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Danish: redskab — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Dutch: gereedschap — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Dutch: gerei — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Finnish: tarvike — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Finnish: tarvekalu — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Finnish: kalusto — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • French: ustensile — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • German: Gerät — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Greek: σκεύος (skévos) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Greek: σύνεργο (sýnergo) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Greek: εργαλείο (ergaleío) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Hebrew: כְּלִי (kli) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Hindi: उपकरण (upakraṇ) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Ido: utensilo — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Italian: utensile — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Italian: stoviglia — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Latin: instrūmentum — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Norwegian Bokmål: redskap — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: reiskap — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Polish: sprzęt kuchenny — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Portuguese: utensílio — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Romanian: ustensilă — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Russian: посу́да (posúda) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Russian: у́тварь (útvarʹ) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Slovak: riad — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Spanish: utensilio — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Swedish: redskap — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Tagalog: lalanghutan — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Tagalog: kakamangan — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Tamil: ஏனம் (ēṉam) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Telugu: గృహోపకరణము (gr̥hōpakaraṇamu) — device for domestic use, in the kitchen, or in war
  • Catalan: utensili — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Dutch: benodigdheden — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Finnish: työväline — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Finnish: väline — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Galician: utensilio — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • German: Gerät — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Greek: σύνεργο (sýnergo) — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Greek: εργαλείο (ergaleío) — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Indonesian: perkakas — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Latin: instrūmentum — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Russian: инструме́нт (instrumént) — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Russian: ору́дие (orúdije) — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Russian: прибо́р (pribór) — small implement specialized for certain types of processing
  • Telugu: ఉపకరణము (upakaraṇamu) — small implement specialized for certain types of processing