pantry

American  

[pan-tree] / ˈpæn tri /

noun

plural

pantries

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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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; -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

Inside, the main residence blends timeless comfort with elevated modern amenities, which start in the chef’s kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances, dual dishwashers, an enormous pantry, and a fireplace.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

He installed a Free Fridge, a pantry where people could access donated food.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

The beauty of a sheet pan dinner is its elasticity — it flexes up and down depending on what’s in your pantry and how much energy you have left at 6:42 p.m.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

The divestment of its remaining food brands would be a milestone for a group that long championed holding pantry and bathroom staples in one corporate cupboard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Put the kettle to boil, take out sugar and one Lipton tea bag from the pantry, milk from the fridge.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• cellar
• closet
• cupboard