Forms: 5 colonur, colyndore, 6 colendre, collandar, 6–7 colender, 7 collander, colinder, 7–8 -endar, 6– -ander. Also 6 cullyandre, -inder, 6–8 -ander, 8 -endar, 7– -ender. [Akin to the equivalent med.L. cōlātōrium, f. cōlā-re, colāt-us to strain (see -ORIUM). Cf. It. colatojo (= colatorio), F. couloir, couloire; also Sp. colador (:—L. cōlātōr-em). The form of the Eng. word appears to be due to some perversion; but its exact history is obscure.]
1. A vessel, usually of metal, closely perforated at the bottom with small holes, and used as a sieve or strainer in cookery.
α. c. 1450. Cookery Bks., 113. Bray hit … drawe it thorw a colonur.
14[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 574. Colatorium, a Colyndore.
1530. Palsgr., 207/1. Colendre to strayne with, covleresse.
1626. G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., XII. 248. Like curds through wickar squeasd; or iuces crusht Through draining colendars.
1672. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), II. 81. In the late war, his own ship was pierced like a colander.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 328. First an Osier Colendar provide Of Twigs thick wrought.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), II. 369. They carry water to a vessel which is full of holes in a similarly holey colander.
β. 1559. Wills & Inv. N. C. (1835), 181. One cullyandre 1s.
1589. Fleming, Georg. Virg., II. 26. The cullinders or strayners of the presses [Georg. ii. 242 cola prelorum].
1615. Markham, Eng. Housew. (1660), 80. Put them [oysters] into a Cullander, and let all the moysture run from them.
1769. Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housekpr. (1778), 11. Strain it through a cullendar.
1796. Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, vi. 93. Take some crumbs of bread rubbed through a fine cullender.
1853. Soyer, Pantroph., 261. Gridirons, cullenders, dripping-pans.
2. transf. and fig.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 271 (R.). Many men doe let their fortunes runne (as it were) through a colander or streiner, wherein the woorst sticke and remaine in the way behind, whiles the better do passe and runne out.
1713. Derham, Phys. Theol., IV. 201. After it hath been strained through those curious Colanders, the Lacteal Veins.
1838. T. Hook, Gurney Married, II. 115. Do you suppose such a story could be shaken in a family colander without running through?
3. A similar vessel used in the casting of shot.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, III. 79. The cullenders are hollow hemispheres of sheet-iron, about 10 inches in diameter, perforated with holes, which should be perfectly round and free from burs.
1879. G. Gladstone, in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 50/1. The perforated frames, or cullenders, through which the molten metal has to pass.
4. Comb.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., Colander-shovel, one of wire open-work, for shoveling salt crystals out of the evaporating-pan.
