warehouse

1 of 2

noun

ware·​house ˈwer-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce warehouse (audio)
: a structure or room for the storage of merchandise or commodities

warehouse

2 of 2

verb

ware·​house
ˈwer-ˌhau̇z,
-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce warehouse (audio)
warehoused; warehousing; warehouses

transitive verb

1
: to deposit, store, or stock in or as if in a warehouse
2
: to confine or house (a person) in conditions suggestive of a warehouse

Examples of warehouse in a Sentence

Noun when the warehouse burned down, we lost most of our merchandise
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As whisky fans, collectors, and aficionados discovered there were still barrels of Port Ellen whisky hidden away in warehouses around Scotland, the liquid gained in popularity—and increased in price. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024 While those in urban centers making the decision to get out of the office game increasingly have looked to convert unloved offices to apartments, in some areas warehouses are hard to come by and, consequently, bring a premium, Soto said. Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Boosters steal from trucks, warehouses, and freight trains, in addition to stores. Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 However, scanners used to address this issue sit unused in warehouses, after Republicans blocked a supplemental funding request to install the equipment, Gallego said. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024 What’s more, some sellers already own or lease their own warehouse for long term storage, or have long term commitments with a third party logistics company that manages a storage facility for them. Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 The two new Lancaster facilities still need workers but fewer than large traditional warehouses. Maria Halkias The Dallas Morning News (tns), arkansasonline.com, 12 Mar. 2024 Even so, he’s gotten a warehouse job and is working to find safe, permanent housing. Allen Arthur, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2024 No, both Costco and Sam's Club warehouses will be closed on Easter. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024
Verb
No one wants to go back to the asylums that warehoused patients in locked wards, often for decades. Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024 America’s attempt to safely warehouse billions of secrets is failing from the top of the intel chain to the bottom. TIME, 29 Feb. 2024 These people were taken to sober living homes where they were ignored, denied counseling, warehoused and, according to court records, witnesses and one autopsy report, plied with alcohol. The Arizona Republic, 16 Jan. 2024 Daily deliveries of materials from Boston Spa, in Yorkshire, where almost a quarter of the library’s books are warehoused, were put on hold. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2023 Cain believes prisons can improve people, not just warehouse them. Frank E. Lockwood, arkansasonline.com, 11 Nov. 2023 In Washington state, a trial began on July 24 after the state's occupational safety regulator said that at three Amazon warehouses the ergonomics and pace of work, combined with the company’s discipline system, elevated the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. WIRED, 16 Aug. 2023 Patchett suggests that in these timeless locales, with their renewable springs of ghostly personae, characters can safely warehouse past versions of themselves and others. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023 At its core this story is about trauma and loss, suffered chiefly by Adele who was deprived of her family and early chances to expand her intellectual capacity, warehoused in the notorious Willowbrook State School. Longreads, 11 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'warehouse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of warehouse was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near warehouse

Cite this Entry

“Warehouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warehouse. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

warehouse

noun
ware·​house
ˈwa(ə)r-ˌhau̇s,
ˈwe(ə)r-
: a building for the storage of goods
warehouseman
-ˌhau̇-smən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on warehouse

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