cupboard
Americannoun
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cupboards
plural
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a closet with shelves for dishes, cups, etc.
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Chiefly British. any small closet or cabinet, as for clothes, food, or the like.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cupboard
First recorded in 1275–1325, cupboard is from the Middle English word cuppebord. See cup, board
Explanation
A cupboard is a piece of furniture that's used for storing things. Your kitchen cupboard might actually be full of cups, while the cupboard in your bedroom might hold sweaters and socks. Some cupboards are built into a wall, like a closet, while others are freestanding cabinets. A cupboard usually has doors that open and shelves inside, for storage. The very earliest cupboards, in the 14th century, were exactly what the word describes: a board or table used for putting cups or dishes on. Over the following two hundred years, cupboard came to mean an enclosed cabinet for the same purpose.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
After she downsized, she opened her cupboard and showed him four plates, four saucers, four cups and four bowls.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Defense contractors are spending billions to build factories and increase production to stock America’s nearly bare cupboard of highly engineered missiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
"I just remember saying, 'Oh, the cat in the cupboard, the cat in the cupboard, that sounds nice'," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The woman's Do Not Attempt Resuscitation document was also found scrunched up in a cupboard, the report added.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Grief ran after it with such lust that he smashed into a cupboard.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
I took the small appliances from the cupboards, then mugs and bowls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
The quake occurred at 8:10 a.m. and was strong enough to knock items off shelves and out of cupboards, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
With part of the nine-story building still standing, Sabbagh was able to use a crane to reach one of his mother's cupboards and retrieve a photo album.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
For the hardware, the couple will be replacing the existing silver-toned metal with gold, including new faucets, new drawer handles, and new knobs for the cupboards.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026
Helena grumbles, grabbing the broom while I put the extra food in the cupboards, out of sight, and stuff my armband into the hole in the mattress, looking for anything else a policeman shouldn’t see.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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