store

1 of 3

verb

ˈstȯr 

stored; storing

transitive verb

1

: lay away, accumulate

store vegetables for winter use

an organism that absorbs and stores DDT

2

: furnish, supply

especially : to stock against a future time

store a ship with provisions

3

: to place or leave in a location (such as a warehouse, library, or computer memory) for preservation or later use or disposal

4

: to provide storage room for : hold

elevators for storing surplus wheat

storable

ˈstȯr-ə-bəl 

adjective

store

2 of 3

noun

1

: a business establishment where usually diversified goods are kept for retail sale

a grocery store

compare shop

2

a

: something that is stored or kept for future use

b

stores plural : articles (as of food) accumulated for some specific object and drawn upon as needed : stock, supplies

c

: something that is accumulated

d

: a source from which things may be drawn as needed : a reserve fund

3

: storage

—usually used with in

When placing eggs in store …

—Sunday Independent (Dublin, Ireland)

4

: value, importance

set great store by a partner's opinion

5

: a large quantity, supply, or number : abundance

6

a

: storehouse, warehouse

b

chiefly British : memory sense 4

store

3 of 3

adjective

1

or stores : of, relating to, kept in, or used for a store

2

: purchased from a store as opposed to being natural or homemade : manufactured, ready-made

store clothes

store bread

Phrases

in store

: in readiness : in preparation

there's a surprise in store for you

Synonyms of store

Verb

• keep

Noun

• reserve
• supply
• hoard
• cache
• collection

Adjective

• bought

Examples of store in a Sentence

Verb

I stored my furniture until I found a new apartment.

She stores her jewels in a safe.

The wine should be stored at room temperature.

The solar panels store energy.

They're studying how our brains store memories.

Noun

I'm going to the store to buy groceries.

The stores are always crowded around the holiday season.

Adjective

preferred homemade bread to store brands

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Among those scheduled to testify at the hearing for the government were an Oklahoma couple who were storing some of Goudreau's belongings, including two assault rifles an associate recently tried to retrieve in possible violation of a court order against possessing firearms while on bond. —Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2025

Larger tools, like rakes and shovels, should be safely hung or otherwise stored vertically. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2025

Noun

Shein—a global fast-fashion juggernaut headquartered in Singapore—was mere days away from opening its first physical store in Paris, inside the BHV Marais department store, when the news hit. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025

Oregon and Hawaii carry the bulk of the top 50 chocolate stores. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2025

Adjective

The latest cuts are the third wave of reductions in administrative and other non-store jobs in 2025, following Kroger's back-to-back cuts in February and March. —Alexander Coolidge, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025

The store cuts come months after Kroger announced two rounds of layoffs of an unspecified number of non-store workers this spring. —Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English storen "to rebuild, restore, supply provisions for (a person, place), provide with," aphetic variant of astoren, borrowed from Anglo-French estorer "to repair, restore, stock (a place) with, provide for, found, establish" (also continental Old French), going back to Latin instaurāre "to start afresh (an interrupted rite), take up again, restore, renew," from in- in- entry 2 + -staurāre, perhaps derivative of an adjective *stauro- "big, great, strong," going back to Indo-European *steh₂-u-ro-, derivative of the verbal base *steh₂- "stand" — more at stour entry 1

Note: As pointed out by M. de Vaan (Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages), the composition of instaurāre, first attested in Cicero, must have been relatively recent, or the expected result from vowel weakening would have been *instūrāre; on the other hand, there is no earlier trace of a verb *staurāre. This etymology is suggested by de Vaan. Earlier explanations offer as a source the Indo-European noun exemplified by Greek staurós "pole, stake," Old Icelandic staurr, though it is difficult to see how this would fit with the earliest meaning of instaurāre, which deals with ritual and has no evident connection with the erection of poles or stakes. The origin of staurós and the presumed Latin adjective at issue here may ultimately be the same—see staurolite. See also restore.

Noun

Middle English stor, store "stored or saved amount, provisions, supplies, value, merit," borrowed from Anglo-French estor, estore "stock, supply," noun derivative of estorer "to repair, restore, stock with" — more at store entry 1

Adjective

from attributive use of store entry 2

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing store

• chain store
• cold store
• consignment store
• convenience store
• department store
• dime store
• dollar store
• general store
• grocery store
• in store
• mind the store
• multiple store
• package store
• pre-store
• put considerable store in/by
• set great store by/on
• set/lay great store by
• set store by
• set store on
• shop the store
• store-bought
• store brand
• store card
• store cheese
• variety store

Rhymes for store

• boar
• boer
• bore
• chore
• cor
• core
• corps
• crore
• door
• drawer
• floor
• flor

Kids Definition

store

1 of 3 verb

ˈstō(ə)r 

ˈstȯ(ə)r

stored; storing

1

: lay away, accumulate

store vegetables for winter use

2

: to provide with what is needed : furnish, supply

store a ship with provisions

3

a

: to deposit in a place (as a warehouse) for safekeeping or disposal

stored my furniture until I found a new apartment

b

: to record information in a device (as a computer)

4

: to provide storage room for : hold

racks for storing basketballs

store

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: something stored

a store of good jokes

b

plural : accumulated supplies (as of food) : stock

a ship's stores

2

: value entry 1 sense 3, importance

a family that set great store by tradition

3

: a place where goods are sold : shop

store

3 of 3 adjective

: purchased from a store : ready-made

store clothes

store bread