Synonyms

cantina

American

[kan-tee-nuh, kahn-tee-nah] / kænˈti nə, kɑnˈti nɑ /

noun

Southwestern U.S.

plural

cantinas

a saloon; bar.

cantina British

/ kænˈtiːnə /

noun

a bar or wine shop, esp in a Spanish-speaking country

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cantina

1835–45, < Spanish < Italian; see canteen

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.

And Galaxy’s Edge forever lacked some of its teased and hyped elements — there were no smugglers, for instance, tapping you on the shoulder in the cantina.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

It was truly a spectacle that combined the aspects of a rock concert, “Christian” evangelical megachurch service, crime family gathering, bazaar, Mos Eisley cantina from "Star Wars" and a professional wrestling supercard.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2024

The video showed four bright pink and orange shrimp, antennae seeming to wave as they spun around and bobbed up-and-down to a chucklesome version of the “Star Wars” cantina song.

From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2024

Martinez ran the cantina from 2000 to 2019.

From Washington Times • Jul. 3, 2023

But the facts remained: she was an old cantina dancer with eyes like a cat.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023