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Meaning & use

colander

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈkʌləndə/
US/ˈkɑːləndər/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    A bowl with many small holes, used in the kitchen to let water run off food such as pasta.

    Grammar: Used over a sink: pour it into a colander.

    Patterns

    • drain something in a colander

    Pour the pasta into a colander in the sink.

    She rinsed the berries in a colander.

    The metal colander hung from a hook.

Word forms

pluralcolanders

Common combinations

metal colander
A metal colander is sturdy.
pour into a colander
Pour the noodles into a colander.
rinse in a colander
Rinse the beans in a colander.
plastic colander
The plastic colander melted on the hob.

Synonyms and how they differ

strainer
A strainer is any tool that separates liquid, often with fine mesh and a handle.
sieve
A sieve has finer mesh and is used for flour or sauces, unlike a colander's larger holes.
drainer
A drainer usually describes a rack for dishes.

Word family

colanders noun
plural form
drain verb
to let liquid run away
strain verb
to separate solids from liquid

Commonly confused: colander or calendar? colander or sieve?

colander vs calendar

A calendar shows dates; it sounds a bit similar but is unrelated.

colander vs sieve

A sieve is finer and used for powders; a colander drains bulk food.

Practice

After boiling the pasta, Dan poured it into a ___ to drain the water.

Make it your own

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