Kettle

ket′l, n. a ve el of metal, for heating or boiling liquids: a cavity like a kettle in rock, sand, .: ( Shak. ) kettle-drum.— ns. Kett′le-drum , a musical instrument now used chiefly in orchestras and in cavalry bands, consisting of a hollow bra hemisphere with a parchment head, sounded by soft-headed elastic drumsticks: a tea-party; Kett′le-drum′mer ; Kett′le-hold′er , a little mat, ., for holding a kettle when hot.— n.pl. Kett′le-pins , skittle-pins.— A kettle of fish , or A pretty kettle of fish , a task of great difficulty, an awkward me —most probably in this sense connected with kiddle . [A.S. cetel ; Ger. ke el , Goth. katils ; all perh. from L. catillus , dim. of catinus , a deep cooking-ve el.]