A kitchen utensil is a hand-held, typically small tool or utensil that is used in the kitchen, for food-related functions. Other names for the same thing, or subsets thereof, derive from the word "ware", and describe kitchen utensils from a merchandising (and functional) point of view: kitchenware, wares for the kitchen; ovenware and bakeware, kitchen utensils that are for use inside ovens and for
baking; cookware, merchandise used for cooking; and so forth. A partially overlapping category of tools is that of eating utensils, which are tools used for eating (c.f. the more general category of tableware). Some utensils are both kitchen utensils and eating utensils. knives and other cutting implements) can be used for both food preparation in a kitchen and as eating utensils when dining. Other cutlery such as forks and spoons are both kitchen and eating utensils. Other names used for various types of kitchen utensils, although not strictly denoting a utensil that is specific to the kitchen, are according to the materials they are made of, again using the "-ware" suffix, rather than their functions: earthenware, utensils made of clay; silverware, utensils (both kitchen and dining) made of silver; glassware, utensils (both kitchen and dining) made of glass; and so forth. These latter categorizations include utensils — made of glass, silver, clay, and so forth — that are not necessarily kitchen utensils.
