storage

American  

[stawr-ij, stohr-] / ˈstɔr ɪdʒ, ˈstoʊr- /

noun

1. the act of storing; state or fact of being stored.

   All my furniture is in storage.

2. capacity or space for storing.

3. a place, as a room or building, for storing.

4. Computers. memory.

5. the price charged for storing goods.

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storage British  

/ ˈstɔːrɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act of storing or the state of being stored

2. space or area reserved for storing

3. a charge made for storing

4. computing

   1. the act or process of storing information in a computer memory or on a magnetic tape, disk, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a storage device

      storage capacity

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storage Idioms  

1. see in cold storage.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonstorage
  noun
• prestorage
  noun

Etymology

Origin of storage

First recorded in 1605–15; store + -age

Explanation

Storage refers to storing something, like in a basement or attic. People keep all sorts of things in storage — from fur coats to bowling trophies. When you store something, you put it away somewhere safe, so storage is the act of storing. Squirrels gather nuts and put them in storage by hiding them. A grocery store might use a stockroom for storage. If you have canned food in the basement, that's storage. Some storage is for emergencies, while other storage is for things you might want to look at another time, like old photos. Things in storage are being saved for later.

Example Sentences

The fire also destroyed two historic structures — Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed and Wreck Line Camp Cabin — as well as a storage building and a wind shelter at Water Canyon Campground.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

Both Papadopoulos and Krull say falling costs and improvements in battery technology and storage are making it cheaper and easier to power the electric grid with renewable energy.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

In March 2026, the Government Accountability Office found that SpaceX had made "limited progress maturing the technologies needed for in-orbit refuelling and cryogenic propellant storage."

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Maybe it’s simply the annual ritual of wrestling your air conditioner out of storage.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026

"The barn is really just a storage shed. No animals are allowed in the barn. They all live in the pen."

From "Pony Problems: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #3" by Carolyn Keene

Related Words

• cache
• depot
• repository
• stockpile
• storehouse