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Household Appliance Vocabulary

By , About.com Guide

These are appliances we use every day in our house. Each word includes a definition and example sentence:

  • broiler - device for broiling meat

    That steak was done to perfection. Where did you get that boiler? It's fantastic.

  • can opener - a device to open cans by cutting around the edges of the rim.

    Don't open that by hand. Use the can opener!

  • compactor - device for pressing together; crusher

    You'd be surprised at how much garbage the compactor can put into one bag!

  • defroster - mechanism that defrosts

    The freezer has a built in automatic defroster so ice doesn't collect.

  • dicer - a machine that slices food thinly

    You can make a beautiful salad in under two minutes with this fantastic dicer!

  • dishwasher - device that washes dishes

    I don't know what I'd do without my dishwasher. I can't imagine having to wash all those dishes by hand!

  • dryer - device or appliance for removing moisture, as by hot air

    Honey, where's the dryer? I've just taken a shower and I need to dry my hair.

  • eggbeater - rotating kitchen device for mixing egg yolk

    Could you pass me the eggbeater so I can fluff these egg whites for the lemon pie.

  • fan - device for creating a current of air or a breeze

    I really don't like using the air-conditioning. I much prefer this fan to keep things cool.

  • freezer - one that freezes, as a thermally insulated cabinet

    He goes shopping and buys enough food to put into his freezer for a month.

  • furnace - structure or apparatus for generating heat

    Could you check if the furnace is working? It seems so cold in here.

  • humidifier - apparatus for increasing the humidity in a room

    It's a good idea to put a humidifier in the room for young babies when they have a cold.

  • icebox - insulated chest or box in which ice is put to cool

    We have an icebox out in the backyard where we keep the beer. Feel free to help yourself!

  • iron - instrument used for taking the wrinkles out of a piece of clothing through heat

    The production of modern materials such as permanent press has almost made the iron a thing of the past.

  • juicer - appliance for extracting juice from fruits

    We use a juicer to make all of our juices in-house. It's really healthy.

  • oven - chamber or enclosed compartment usually used to cook in, as in a stove

    I like cooking potatoes in the oven instead of frying them.

  • percolator - type of coffeepot in which boiling water is forced through a filter

    Can you plug in the percolator and make us a cup of coffee?

  • refrigerator - appliance for maintaining foods at a low temperature, or producing ice

    We keep the bread in the refrigerator.

  • rotisserie - cooking device equipped with a rotating spit

    In the summer, we like to use the outdoor rotisserie to cook delicious chicken.

  • shaver - one that shaves; a device used in shaving

    I prefer using a shaver instead of a razor.

  • stove - device used to provide heat (either electric or gas) to cook food

    I really don't know how to cook. About the only thing I can do is boil an egg on the stove.

  • toaster - device used to toast bread, esp. by exposure to heat

    Could you pop this bread into the toaster?

  • vacuum cleaner - appliance using suction to clean surfaces

    I used the vacuum cleaner to clean all the rugs - they really needed it.

Now that you have studied these words, continue to the next page for a quiz using each word in the list once to complete the quiz.

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