batterie de cuisine: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal/Technical
Quick answer
What does “batterie de cuisine” mean?
A set of cooking utensils, pots, and pans.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A set of cooking utensils, pots, and pans.
The complete collection of equipment used in a kitchen, often implying a comprehensive and sometimes professional-quality set.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is extremely rare in both varieties, but slightly more likely to be encountered in formal British culinary or auction-house contexts. In American English, the term 'cookware set' or simply 'pots and pans' is overwhelmingly preferred.
Connotations
In both, it connotes expertise, formality, or luxury (e.g., a high-end kitchen). It may sound pretentious or affected in casual conversation.
Frequency
Very low-frequency term. Mostly confined to writing about high-end kitchens, culinary history, or antique collections.
Grammar
How to Use “batterie de cuisine” in a Sentence
She assembled/collected a(n) [adjective] batterie de cuisine.The kitchen was furnished with a complete batterie de cuisine.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in high-end retail (kitchenware, antiques) to describe premium product collections.
Academic
Appears in historical, cultural, or material culture studies discussing domestic life or culinary history.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation. Using it would be marked as highly formal or affected.
Technical
Used by professional chefs, culinary historians, or antique dealers to refer to a comprehensive set of cooking vessels.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “batterie de cuisine”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “batterie de cuisine”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “batterie de cuisine”
- Incorrect: 'I need to buy a new kitchen batterie.' Correct: '...a new batterie de cuisine.' (The full French phrase is required.)
- Incorrect: 'the batterie of the cuisine'. Correct: 'the batterie de cuisine' (treated as a single lexical unit).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
You must use the full French phrase 'batterie de cuisine'. Shortening it to 'batterie' or 'cuisine batterie' is incorrect in English.
No, it is a very low-frequency, specialised term. In everyday situations, native speakers say 'pots and pans' or 'cookware'.
To sound sophisticated, precise, or to reference the specific concept of a complete, often high-quality, collection of cooking vessels. It's a marker of formal or expert register.
Traditionally, no. It primarily refers to the vessels used for cooking over heat (pots, pans, saucepans, casseroles). Modern extended use might include essential utensils, but not typically small electrical appliances.
A set of cooking utensils, pots, and pans.
Batterie de cuisine is usually formal/technical in register.
Batterie de cuisine: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbat(ə)ri də kwɪˈziːn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbætəri də kwɪˈzin/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms. The term itself is a fixed phrase.]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a French chef's 'battery' of pots and pans, all lined up like soldiers (from the military meaning of 'battery'), ready for action in the 'cuisine' (kitchen).
Conceptual Metaphor
KITCHEN IS AN ARMORY (tools are weapons, cooking is a campaign).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the term 'batterie de cuisine' be LEAST appropriate?