Eating utensils like forks, knives, and spoons, called 'flat' because the handles are thin and flat compared to other utensils.
Compound of 'flat' + 'ware' (goods or merchandise). The term became common in American English in the 1800s to distinguish these thin utensils from heavier cutlery.
Americans call it 'flatware,' but the British say 'cutlery'—funny how the same forks and spoons have totally different names depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on!
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