colander

Everyday

A colander is a kitchen bowl full of small holes, used for draining water from food such as pasta or for washing vegetables. tree →

In the lessons

In cooking lessons and at home, pasta is tipped into a colander in the sink so the water runs out. In science it shows separating a solid from a liquid, like a big sieve. Safety: an adult should pour boiling water into the colander. Phrases: drain in a colander, rinse in a colander.

Examples

• Mum drained the spaghetti in a colander. tree →
• I washed the strawberries in the colander. tree →
• Water ran out through the holes of the colander. tree →
• We used a colander to separate the peas from the water. tree →
• Grandma's colander is made of metal. tree →
• Put the colander in the sink before you pour. tree →

Note

Countable: a colander, colanders. Pronounced KOL-an-der or KUL-an-der. Do not confuse with «calendar» (days and months), which sounds similar. A sieve has a fine mesh; a colander has bigger holes.