kitchen sink
Definition
- Noun:
- A sink in a kitchen: A fixed basin, typically made of stainless steel, ceramic, or composite materials, with a water supply and drain, installed in a kitchen for washing dishes, food, and hands.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- She filled the pot with water from the kitchen sink.
- The dirty dishes were piled high in the kitchen sink.
- He installed a new, deeper kitchen sink during the renovation.
Advanced Usage
- "Everything but the kitchen sink" (Idiom): Used to describe an extremely large number of things, an excessive amount, or including nearly everything imaginable.
- They packed everything but the kitchen sink for their two-week vacation.
- His argument included every possible statistic, everything but the kitchen sink.
Variants and Related Words
- Sink (n): A fixed basin with a water supply and drain. The kitchen sink is a specific type of sink.
- Belfast sink (n): A deep, rectangular sink traditionally made of fireclay, often used in kitchens.
- Butler sink (n): Similar to a Belfast sink; a deep, front-apron kitchen sink.
Synonyms
- Kitchen basin: A less common synonym.
- Scullery sink: A sink in a scullery (a small kitchen or room for washing dishes).
Related Phrases
- To throw in the kitchen sink (Idiomatic Phrase): To use every available resource or argument in an effort to succeed, often as a last resort. This is an extension of the "everything but the kitchen sink" idiom.
- In the final debate, the candidate threw in the kitchen sink, attacking his opponent on every issue.
Related Idioms
- "Everything but the kitchen sink": As described in Advanced Usage, this is the primary idiom associated with the term.
- "A kitchen-sink drama" (British English): A style of play, film, or television program portraying the harsh realities of everyday domestic life, especially of the working class. (Note: This is a compound term where "kitchen-sink" functions as an adjective).
- The playwright was famous for his gritty, kitchen-sink dramas.
Noun
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a sink in a kitchen
