What is "ladle"

Ladle \La"dle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ladled; p. pr. & vb. n. Ladling.] To take up and convey in a ladle; to dip with, or as with, a ladle; as, to ladle out soup; to ladle oatmeal into a kettle.

Ladle \La"dle\, n. [AS. hl[ae]del, fr. hladan to load, drain. See Lade, v. t.]

1. A cuplike spoon, often of large size, with a long handle, used in lading or dipping.

   When the materials of glass have been kept long in fusion, the mixture casts up the superfluous salt, which the workmen take off with ladles.
   --Boyle.

2. (Founding) A vessel to carry liquid metal from the furnace to the mold.

3. The float of a mill wheel; -- called also ladle board.

4. (Gun.)

   1. An instrument for drawing the charge of a cannon.

   2. A ring, with a handle or handles fitted to it, for carrying shot.

      Ladle wood (Bot.), the wood of a South African tree ( Cassine Colpoon), used for carving.

"large, long-handled spoon for drawing liquids," Old English hlædel "ladle," from hladan "to load" (see lade) + -le, suffix expressing "appliance, tool" (compare shovel, handle, thimble). The verb is first recorded 1520s, from the noun. Related: Ladled; ladling.

n. 1 A deep-bowled spoon with a long, usually curved, handle. 2 A container used in a foundry to transport and pour out molten metal. 3 The float of a mill wheel; a ladle board. 4 An instrument for drawing the charge of a cannon. 5 A ring, with a handle or handles fitted to it, for carrying shot. vb. (context transitive English) to serve something with a ladle

1. n. a spoon-shaped vessel with a long handle; used to transfer liquids

2. v. put (a liquid) into a container by means of a ladle; "ladle soup into the bowl"

3. remove with or as if with a ladle; "ladle the water out of the bowl" [syn: lade, laden]

Ladle may refer to:

• Ladle (spoon), a bowl-shaped serving device, typically for soup
• Ladle (foundry), a vessel used to carry and pour molten metal
• Ladle, a monthly tournament of Armagetron Advanced

In a foundry, a ladle is a vessel used to transport and pour out molten metals. Ladles range in size from small hand carried vessels that resemble a kitchen ladle and hold to large steelmill ladles that hold up to . Many non-ferrous foundries also use ceramic crucibles for transporting and pouring molten metal and will also refer to these as ladles.

A ladle (dipper) is a type of serving spoon used for soup, stew, or other foods. Although designs vary, a typical ladle has a long handle terminating in a deep bowl, frequently with the bowl oriented at an angle to the handle to facilitate lifting liquid out of a pot or other vessel and conveying it to a bowl. Some ladles involve a point on the side of the basin to allow for finer stream when pouring the liquid; however, this can create difficulty for left handed users, as it is easier to pour towards one's self. Thus, many of these ladles feature such pinches on both sides.

A spoon ladle is also known as a spoodle.

In modern times ladles are usually made of the same stainless steel alloys as other kitchen utensils; however, they can be made of aluminium, silver, plastics, melamine resin, wood, bamboo or other materials. Ladles are made in a variety of sizes depending upon use; for example, the smaller sizes of less than 5 inches in length are used for sauces or condiments, while extra large sizes of more than 15 inches in length are used for soup or punch.

In ancient times ladles were often made from plants such as calabash (bottle gourd) or even sea-shells.