The Italian word for a corkscrew or bottle opener is cavatappi. It is a compilation of the verb cavare (to remove, to extract) and tappo (cork, stopper).
Cavatappi is an invariable masculine noun, which means that it keeps the same form in the singular and plural. In fact, all nouns ending in -i in the singular can be classed as invariable, with some other examples being analisi (analysis), brindisi (toast), and crisi (crisis).
il cavatappi
the corkscrew
un cavatappi
a corkscrew
i cavatappi
the corkscrews
dei cavatappi
(some) corkscrews
Vorrei aprire questa bottiglia di vino ma non trovo il cavatappi!
I would like to open this bottle of wine but I can’t find the corkscrew!
A rarely used synonym for this word is cavaturaccioli, which is the combination of the verb cavare once again, and turacciolo, the more precise term for a bottle stopper made of cork (sughero). Whereas cavatappi can be used to remove any kind of bottle stopper, cavaturaccioli are designed specifically for the removal of cork stoppers.
The apribottiglie (aprire = to open + bottiglie = bottles), on the other hand, is used for the removal of metal caps from glass bottles.
Dove hai messo l’apribottiglie? – L’ho perso. Usa i denti!
Where did you put the bottle opener? – I lost it. Use your teeth!
An older word, whose usage is restricted to certain dialects in the south of Italy, is tirabusciò, which comes from the French tirebouchon (tirer = to pull, bouchon = stopper, cap, cork).
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
