caster

[ kas-ter, kah-ster ]

noun

1. a person or thing that casts.
2. a small wheel on a swivel, set under a piece of furniture, a machine, etc., to facilitate moving it.
3. a bottle or cruet for holding a condiment.
4. a stand containing a set of such bottles.
5. a metal container for sugar, pepper, etc., having a perforated top to permit sprinkling; dredger; muffineer.
6. Automotive. the angle that the kingpin makes with the vertical. Automobiles are usually designed with the upper end of the kingpin inclined rearward positive caster for improved directional stability.

verb (used without object)

1. (of a wheel) to swivel freely in a horizontal plane.

caster

/ ˈkɑːstə /

noun

1. a person or thing that casts
2. Alsocastor a bottle with a perforated top for sprinkling sugar, etc, or a stand containing such bottles
3. Alsocastor a small wheel mounted on a swivel so that the wheel tends to turn into its plane of rotation

Other Words From

• caster·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of caster¹

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; cast, -er ¹

Example Sentences

The casters under its antique glass and mahogany case squeaked.

From Washington Post

Gold likes casters in flex spaces, because they make it easier to move furniture around.

From Washington Post

Using caster sugar or superfine sugar makes a big difference in cakes, like in this Pistachio Cake with Lemon and Rosewater, in which those quick-dissolving properties make easier work of creaming together butter and sugar.

From Salon

With tired office chairs, for example, his team can replace stiff casters or worn-out gas lifts, the devices that allow people to adjust the height of a chair seat.

From BBC

Maybe Willow will be a more consistent spell caster than he was as a teenager.

From New York Times

Related Words

• beaker
• canteen
• carafe
• chalice
• decanter
• jug
• urn
• vial