a cutting implement; a tool for cutting
"The chef used his pocket knife as makeshift cutlery to slice through the tough steak."
tableware implements for cutting and eating food
"The waiter placed a set of polished cutlery on the white tablecloth before serving the steak."
A collective ensemble of eating and serving utensils such as knives, forks and spoons.
"She carefully packed the cutlery into a wooden box before leaving for her camping trip."
In plain English: Cutlery is the common word for forks, knives, and spoons used to eat with at the table.
"She carefully washed all the cutlery before putting them away in the drawer."
Usage: Cutlery refers to the entire set of kitchen tools like knives, forks, and spoons used together at a meal rather than any single item individually. While often called silverware in American English, cutlery is the standard term for these utensils regardless of their material composition.
The word comes from the Old French term coutelerie, which originally referred to a cutler's trade. It entered Middle English as cotellerie before evolving into modern "cutlery."