kitchen

American  

[kich-uhn] / ˈkɪtʃ ən /

noun

1. a room or place equipped for cooking.

   The apartment has a full kitchen with an oven and dishwasher.

2. the staff involved in food preparation in a restaurant or eatery.

   He called the kitchen to make sure they could accommodate his allergies.

3. culinary department; cuisine.

   This restaurant has a fine Italian kitchen.

4. the equipment and fixtures needed to make a room suitable for cooking.

   We bought a kitchen, but it still needs to be installed.

5. Sports. (on a pickleball court) a seven-foot zone on either side of the net from which players are prohibited from returning the ball before it hits the ground.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or designed for use in a room equipped for cooking.

   There's a view of the yard from the kitchen window.

   We got a new, more colorful set of kitchen curtains.

2. employed in or assigned to a place or business that makes food.

   Kitchen staff and volunteers worked together to feed over 500 food-insecure people.

kitchen British  

/ ˈkɪtʃɪn /

noun

1. 1. a room or part of a building equipped for preparing and cooking food

   2. ( as modifier )

      a kitchen table

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kitchen Idioms  

1. see everything but the kitchen sink; if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

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Other Word Forms

• kitchenless adjective
• kitcheny adjective
• outkitchen noun

Etymology

Origin of kitchen

First recorded before 1000; Middle English kichene, Old English cycene ≪ Latin coquīna, equivalent to coqu(ere) “to cook” + -īna -ine ¹; cuisine

Example Sentences

I would stand in our kitchen at dusk, the marine layer settling in, peaceful as I loaded the dishwasher in a life I hadn’t necessarily seen for myself.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The dwelling sits on a 1.4-acre parcel that is home to a glittering swimming pool and spa, an enormous patio, an outdoor kitchen, and a fire pit area.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

In the kitchen, dozens of supplement bottles line the countertop, each promising a different type of nutritional benefit.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

The council said the project offered free cookery classes for residents who may face barriers to accessing healthy food, including low-income households, single parents, carers and anyone wanting to gain confidence in the kitchen.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

My aunt’s voice drifts out from the kitchen as she hears my footsteps pounding the stairs.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• gallery