store

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

Synonyms of store

• keep

Examples of store in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Prosecutors allege more than 11 million pounds of explosives were brought onto the property over a decade, with approximately 1 million pounds stored there when the explosion occurred. —Richard Ramos, CBS News, 3 June 2026

Researchers believe chloride-ion batteries could one day support grid-scale storage systems that store electricity generated by wind turbines and solar farms. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026

Your phone already stores payment cards, tickets, boarding passes, keys and loyalty cards. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026

Transfer to an airtight container and store out of direct sunlight up to 6 months. —Jessica Saari Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

13th century, 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