kitchen
Americannoun
-
kitchens
plural
-
a room or place equipped for cooking.
The apartment has a full kitchen with an oven and dishwasher.
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the staff involved in food preparation in a restaurant or eatery.
He called the kitchen to make sure they could accommodate his allergies.
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culinary department; cuisine.
This restaurant has a fine Italian kitchen.
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the equipment and fixtures needed to make a room suitable for cooking.
We bought a kitchen, but it still needs to be installed.
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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.
adjective
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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.
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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.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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; cf. cuisine
Explanation
People always hang out in the kitchen at a party because a kitchen is where the food is. Restaurants have kitchens too, but only the kitchen staff hangs out in there. A kitchen is a room that’s meant for cooking. Whether you're making a four-course meal or microwave popcorn, the kitchen is where the magic happens. Schools, hospitals, and restaurants have kitchens. The word kitchen can also be used as an adjective. Guess where the kitchen cabinets are? If someone says you’ve packed everything but the kitchen sink, your suitcase is overflowing. And you should totally go back and get that sink. The Old English root of kitchen is from the Vulgar Latin cocina, rooted in coquere, "cook."
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.
See Examples For:
They bought an expensive mattress, installed a new stove and work station and fully stocked the kitchen with dishes and appliances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
Despite the high price tag, the Redmans say they love their kitchen and don’t regret the project for a second.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Beechy said that as he walked into the kitchen, with Bell standing nearby, he fired the rifle by mistake.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
A bold, open-concept great room is the heart of the 3,504-square-foot home, where an edgy chef’s kitchen featuring a black-and-white, harlequin-tiled backsplash immediately catches the eye.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
“I’m filling in a shift, but no reason to go into a hot kitchen before I have to. Thanks.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Apple on Tuesday unveiled HomeView, a voice-driven smart display built around its revamped Siri AI assistant, as the iPhone maker makes a fresh bid for a place in living rooms and kitchens.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Handling personalized drinks, along with burritos and bowls, could make things complicated in Chipotle’s kitchens, Zackfia said, depending on how far down that road Chipotle might go.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
In March 2020, as dining rooms shut down, Chuck E. Cheese launched Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings, a delivery-only brand operating out of its existing kitchens.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
They soon moved to local churches and wedding halls, which had commercial kitchens available during the week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
“Yeah,” said Harry in relief, “yeah, I’ll do that. Er — Kreacher — I want you to go to Hogwarts and work in the kitchens there with the other house-elves.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
