cupboard

American  

[kuhb-erd] / ˈkʌb ərd /

noun

1. a closet with shelves for dishes, cups, etc.

2. Chiefly British. any small closet or cabinet, as for clothes, food, or the like.

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cupboard British  

/ ˈkʌbəd /

noun

1. a piece of furniture or a recessed area of a room, with a door concealing storage space

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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

The West Somerset Food Cupboard has also received an uptick in requests for gluten-free, dairy-free and meat-free produce.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025

And then, in the last six weeks of my degree course, I made an adaptation of an Ian McEwan short story, “Conversation With a Cupboard Man.”

From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2023

At a food bank called Jackson Cupboard, Hermanowski hands out meals from a commercial garage after being forced from a previous site by a malfunctioning sprinkler.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 24, 2022

It’s from Hogwarts, the school for wizards, and it is addressed to a certain “Mr H. Potter, The Cupboard under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey”.

From Reuters • Nov. 15, 2021

Cupboard of a kitchen straight ahead—empty—box of a living room to the left.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Related Words

• closet
• locker
• sideboard
• storeroom