canteen

American  

[kan-teen] / kænˈtin /

noun

• canteens
  plural

1. a small container used especially by soldiers and hikers for carrying water or other liquids.

2. a general store and cafeteria at a military base.

3. a place where free entertainment is provided for military personnel.

4. a place, as in a factory, school, or summer camp, where refreshments and sometimes personal supplies are sold.

5. a recreation center or social club, especially for teenagers.

6. a place set up to dispense food during an emergency.

7. a snack bar.

8. British. a box or chest for cutlery and other table utensils.

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canteen British  

/ kænˈtiːn /

noun

1. a restaurant attached to a factory, school, etc, providing meals for large numbers of people

2. 1. a small shop that provides a limited range of items, such as toilet requisites, to a military unit

   2. a recreation centre for military personnel

3. a soldier's eating and drinking utensils

4. a temporary or mobile stand at which food is provided

5. 1. a box in which a set of cutlery is laid out

   2. the cutlery itself

6. a flask or canister for carrying water or other liquids, as used by soldiers or travellers

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• canteens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of canteen

1730–40; < French cantine < Italian cantina cellar, perhaps derivative of canto corner ( see cant ²) with -ina -ine ¹

Explanation

A canteen is a store that sells food and drink at an institution like a camp, college, or military base. A canteen can also be a small container used to carry water to drink. If you’re at summer camp, you can buy snacks at the canteen. This kind of canteen is a little shop. At the canteen, you can buy little things like potato chips or a can opener. A canteen is like a convenience store. The other kind of canteen is good if you’re going on a hike — fill it up with water and put it in your backpack, since there probably aren’t any of those other kinds of canteens out in the woods.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

canteen canteens

Justice Elena Kagan refers to herself as the “frozen yogurt justice” and even had a fro-yo machine installed in the court’s canteen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

Money does not change hands among residents, not in its cooperative grocery store nor community canteen.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

A refurbishment of the Stormont assembly canteen cost nearly £200,000 more than its original budget.

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026

In addition, many staff perks, including a paid-for staff canteen, have been axed.

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026

He found the spring and drank deeply, filling his canteen.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

At a time when restaurants and canteens were limited, carrying meals from home mattered deeply in a city where food was tied to culture, religion and family routine.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

At the height of the Cold War, Moscow operated an airport on Svalbard and three mining towns complete with state-of-the-art health facilities and 24-hour canteens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026

Imperial College London dropped beef from most of its canteens two years ago, replacing it with venison alongside chicken and pork.

From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025

The agricultural sector shows the greatest potential for reducing the climate footprint, while the greatest potential for saving energy is found in the service industry, which includes canteens, hotels, and restaurants.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2023

He filled the canteens and some of the wine ran out on the stone paving of the courtyard.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

Related Words

• flask
• water bottle