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; see -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

But they’re always there when you need them, staring into your fridge or pantry trying to piece together something coherent from what’s left.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

Anchovies, the kind that are generously soaked in olive oil and neatly packed inside handheld tins, are a pantry staple in my apartment kitchen year-round.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

Traces of glyphosate appear in some popular pantry staples, including cereals and snacks that are beloved by children.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

The property, which was originally built in 1998, comes complete with a gym, walk-in closet, walk-in pantry, wine cellar, an office, and a guesthouse.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

I went down the back staircase—low and claustrophobic, scarcely three feet wide—through the kitchen and butler’s pantry, and out onto the back porch.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• cellar
• closet
• cupboard