store

American  

[stawr] / stɔr /

noun

• stores
  plural

1. an establishment where merchandise is sold, usually on a retail basis.

2. a grocery.

   We need bread and milk from the store.

3. a stall, room, floor, or building housing or suitable for housing a retail business.

4. a supply or stock of something, especially one for future use.

5. stores, supplies of food, clothing, or other requisites, as for a household, inn, or naval or military forces.

6. Chiefly British. a storehouse or warehouse.

7. quantity, especially great quantity; abundance, or plenty.

   a rich store of grain.

---

verb (used with object)

• stores,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stored,
  past participle,  past
• storing
  present participle

1. to supply or stock with something, as for future use.

2. to accumulate or put away, for future use (usually followed by up oraway ).

   Synonyms:

   stockpile, hoard, husband, save, amass

3. to deposit in a storehouse, warehouse, or other place for keeping.

4. Computers. to put or retain (data) in a memory unit.

verb (used without object)

• stores,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stored,
  past participle,  past
• storing
  present participle

1. to take in or hold supplies, goods, or articles, as for future use.

2. to remain fresh and usable for considerable time on being stored.

   Flour stores well.

adjective

1. bought from a store; commercial.

   a loaf of store bread.

idioms

1. in store,

   1. in readiness or reserve.

   2. about to happen; imminent.

      There is a great deal of trouble in store for them if they persist in their ways.

2. set / lay store by, to have high regard for; value; esteem.

   She sets great store by good character.

store British  

/ stɔː /

verb

1. (tr) to keep, set aside, or accumulate for future use

2. (tr) to place in a warehouse, depository, etc, for safekeeping

3. (tr) to supply, provide, or stock

4. (intr) to be put into storage

5. computing to enter or retain (information) in a storage device

---

noun

1. 1. an establishment for the retail sale of goods and services

   2. ( in combination )

      storefront

2. 1. a large supply or stock kept for future use

   2. ( as modifier )

      store ship

3. short for department store

4. 1. a storage place such as a warehouse or depository

   2. ( in combination )

      storeman

5. the state of being stored (esp in the phrase in store )

6. a large amount or quantity

7. computing another name for memory

8. Also called: store pig.  a pig that has not yet been weaned and weighs less than 40 kg

9. 1. an animal bought lean to be fattened up for market

   2. ( as modifier )

      store cattle

10. forthcoming or imminent

11. to value or reckon as important

store More Idioms  

1. see in store; mind the store; set store by; variety store.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• storer
  noun
• substore
  noun
• overstore
  verb
• storable
  adjective
• well-stored
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stores
  plural

Participles

• storing
  present
• stored
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• store
  simple
• stores
  simple
• have stored
  perfect
• has stored
  perfect
• am storing
  progressive
• are storing
  progressive
• is storing
  progressive
• have been storing
  perfect progressive
• has been storing
  perfect progressive

Past

• stored
  simple
• had stored
  perfect
• was storing
  progressive
• were storing
  progressive
• had been storing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will store
  simple
• will have stored
  perfect
• will be storing
  progressive
• will have been storing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of store

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English verb storen, shortening of astoren, from Old French estorer, from Latin instaurāre “to repeat, start over, set up,” equivalent to in- intensive prefix + combining form staur- (akin to Greek staurós “pole, cross” and Old Norse staurr “pole”) + -āre infinitive suffix; noun derived from the verb; see origin at in- ², steer ¹, restore

Explanation

As the sentence "This store stores a large store of rubber ducks" will tell you, store is a word with a lot of definitions. Among these are "a place that sells items," "the act of keeping things for future use," and "a supply of something." As a noun, store often refers to a place where things are sold, such as an electronics store. This meaning of the word likely sprang up from the original meaning, "a supply of something kept for future use." As a verb, store refers to the act of putting things away for later. Chipmunks store nuts in their cheeks, people store their winter clothes when springtime arrives, and techies store information on backup drives.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

store stores stored storing

US President Donald Trump has said his proposed triumphal arch will double as a complex to store military equipment, complete with the ability to deploy snipers and drones.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

At $12.99 for two jars, it had stopped being the sauce from the fancy grocery store and become simply the sauce my mother bought.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

Human muscles use adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, to store and release the energy needed for contraction.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

“Now when generations are coming of age, there’s no stigma, there’s nothing odd about shopping at a thrift store or shopping secondhand,” Reinhart said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

The Board of Education set great store by her.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

His voice lands somewhere between the parents in Charlie Brown specials and those buzzers they put outside convenience stores to chase off teens.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

Prosecutors claim Ilie installed skimmers in several Toledo and Cleveland-area stores in early March.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Many stores carry iterations of the same styles, and in the wake of fast fashion, buying vintage clothing is the easiest way to be sure that what you’re wearing is different.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Nnadi says M&S has been investing heavily in its retail spaces in recent years, focusing on "accessible luxury" with stores that feel "welcoming, new and fresh".

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

She didn’t dare use up her stores from the njuzu island until she was certain she could replace them.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Lipids containing BFAs were also present among neutral lipids stored inside droplets in the renal cortex.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Oil stored in the SPR fell by 403,000 barrels to 285 million barrels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Riyadh’s stored crude at Yanbu covers five to seven days, a clock that runs out roughly when Warsh reaches the microphone, and a restart announcement takes $5 off Brent.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Nature's SAFE, described as a "bio bank", has now stored biological samples from 400 species, some of which are critically endangered or extinct in the wild.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

When those packs were set neatly down on the bottom, she told Omakayas to fetch the parched corn, which she had stored in neat skin bags.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

People have reported storing broken fridges and freezers in their gardens for months because some council collections have been suspended.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

Oaks support a wide range of organisms, anchoring entire ecosystems, and also serve the vital task of storing carbon on a warming planet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

These receptors help neurons adjust the strength of their connections, a process essential for storing information.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

Archaeologists have found pieces of Greek pottery, as well as rooms and large jars for storing goods from the harbour, discoveries that Karam said showed the ancient city's "lively commercial activity".

From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026

But by claiming that the Jesuits dealt in fairy tales while he dealt in facts, Galileo was storing up more trouble for himself in Rome.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Related Words

• boutique
• chain store
• convenience store
• deli
• department store
• discount store
• drugstore
• emporium
• grocery store
• market
• outlet
• shop
• shopping center
• showroom
• supermarket