pantry

American  

[pan-tree] / ˈpæn tri /

noun

pantries plural

1. a room or closet in which food, groceries, and other provisions, or silverware, dishes, etc., are kept.

2. a room between the kitchen and dining room in which food is arranged for serving, glassware and dishes are stored, etc.

3.  food pantry.  a shelter or other place where food is dispensed to people experiencing food insecurity, either as groceries or as meals.

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pantry British  

/ ˈpæntrɪ /

noun

1. a small room or cupboard in which provisions, cooking utensils, etc, are kept; larder

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pantries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pantry

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English panetrie, from Anglo-French; Old French paneterie “bread room,” equivalent to panet(er) “to bake bread” (derivative of pan “bread,” from Latin pānis ) + -erie noun suffix; see -ery

Explanation

A pantry is an area in or near a kitchen where food is stored. When you buy a hundred boxes of macaroni and cheese that are on sale, you'll need to make room in the pantry for them. Not every kitchen has a pantry, a dedicated space for storing food and other supplies. In some cases a pantry is a closet or cupboard with shelves, and sometimes a pantry is an entirely separate room adjacent to the kitchen. The Anglo-French source of pantry, panetrie, means "bread room," from the Medieval Latin panataria, "room of a servant in charge of food or bread." The Latin root, panis, means "bread."

Example Sentences

She joined the team at The Pantry @ Sandbach Hub four years ago, helping support people struggling with the cost of food and living expenses.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Another pet food bank, established more recently in the West Midlands, is the West Bromwich Emergency Pet Pantry, run by 47-year-old Louise Colledge.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026

He described the Pilsen Food Pantry as “‘a lifeline for me…Our food budget doesn’t stretch as far as it used to.’”

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025

The Original Pantry, the iconic eatery in downtown Los Angeles that closed earlier this year, is set to make a comeback.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2025

Six days later Janet stood at the counter of the Penny Pantry.

From "Frindle" by Andrew Clements

Related Words

• cellar
• closet
• cupboard