canteen

American  

[kan-teen] / kænˈtin /

noun

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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of canteen

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

Example Sentences

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

From BBC

From playing an invitation-only gig in the canteen of Swansea-based Au Vodka to inspiring a sell-out crowd at the Swansea.com Stadium, Snoop's presence sprinkled stardust on a working-class south Wales town not accustomed to celebrity visits.

From Barron's

Staff at a business in Swansea have said it was "absolutely nuts" to have American rapper Snoop Dogg perform a full hour private set of "back to back classics" in their canteen.

From BBC

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

The way Kilgore at first proudly offers his canteen to, but then thoughtlessly withdraws it from, an enemy soldier who is about to die is priceless, and reportedly based on a real incident.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• flask
• water bottle