flatware
flatware Lexical Profile
flatware Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American Eating and serving utensils such as forks, spoons, and table knives, typically made of stainless steel, silver, or other metals.
"The newlyweds registered for a twelve-piece set of stainless steel flatware for their dining room."
Tableware that is relatively flat and shallow in shape, such as dinner plates, platters, and saucers, as distinguished from deep vessels like bowls, cups, and pitchers.
"The ceramics factory produces both flatware and hollowware for commercial restaurants."
Word Nuance & Usage
In everyday North American usage, 'flatware' refers specifically to eating utensils (knives, forks, and spoons), whereas in the tableware and ceramics industry it denotes relatively flat dishes (such as plates and saucers) as opposed to 'hollowware' (bowls, pitchers, and teapots).
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 19th century as a compound of the Old Norse-derived 'flat' and Old English 'waru' (meaning goods or manufactured articles), originally coined in the pottery and silversmith trades to distinguish flat-shaped dishes and utensils from hollow vessels.