cafeteria

American  

[kaf-i-teer-ee-uh] / ˌkæf ɪˈtɪər i ə /

noun

1. a restaurant in which patrons wait on themselves, carrying their food to tables from counters where it is displayed and served.

2. a lunchroom or dining hall, as in a factory, office, or school, where food is served from counters or dispensed from vending machines or where food brought from home may be eaten.

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cafeteria British  

/ ˌkæfɪˈtɪərɪə /

noun

1. a self-service restaurant

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Etymology

Origin of cafeteria

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; from Latin American Spanish cafetería “café,” Spanish cafeter(a) “coffeemaker,” from French caf(f)etière (equivalent to café + etière feminine of -ier ); t apparently by analogy with words such as bouquetière “flower seller,” from bases ending in t ) + -ía; coffee, -ier ²

Example Sentences

They had watched in awe as Team Canada strolled into the cafeteria inside the athletes’ village.

From The Wall Street Journal

“My class was supposed to go last year, but Freddy flushed my permission slip down the toilet and I had to stay in the school cafeteria.”

From Literature

Or behind the cafeteria, where the delivery trucks park.

From Literature

In the cafeteria, they sit in fours, eat, and rise in unison, chanting: "Thank you for the meal," in Ukrainian.

From Barron's

That’s where the cafeteria, rental equipment, lockers and shop are found and lessons begin.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• lunchroom
• snack bar