[flat-wair] 
| 1. | utensils, as knives, forks, and spoons, used at the table for serving and eating food. |
| 2. | dishes or containers for the table that are more or less flat, as plates and saucers (distinguished from hollowware ). |
| flat·ware (flāt'wâr') n.
|
flatware
spoons, forks, and serving implements used at the table. The term flatware was introduced toward the end of the 19th century. Strictly speaking, it excludes knives, which are classified as cutlery (q.v.), although in common American usage knives are generally included.
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