canteen

noun

can·teen | \ kan-ˈtēn

Definition of canteen

1a : a portable chest with compartments for carrying bottles or for cooking and eating utensils

b : a flask for carrying liquids (as on a hike)

c : mess kit

d British : a chest for storing flatware

2a : a bar at a military post or camp

b : a general store at a military post : exchange

c : an establishment that serves as an informal social club (as for soldiers or a community's teenagers)

d : a small cafeteria or snack bar

Examples of canteen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Along with the playwright and the actors, they were crammed into the theater’s small canteen, shouting their congratulations and conversations in an atmosphere thick with cigarette smoke and fragrant Austrian white wine. — New York Times, "Ayad Akhtar Gets a European Welcome, With Conditions," 15 June 2018 But Arles’s arts scene is thriving again with LUMA Arles, a vast, 20-acre arts complex built with warehouses turned exhibition spaces, a bio-design workshop, and a canteen-style restaurant. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Next Great Food Scene, Beach Town, and More: The 2019 Trends We're Calling Now," 18 Dec. 2018 But the canteen’s very success among the pensioners — and increasing lack of popularity among city workers — has become a problem for the Hamburg authorities. — New York Times, "Come for the Herring, Stay for the Chitchat: An Unlikely Haven for the Aged," 13 Feb. 2018 Indonesian dishes at Beetle Cafe on the Ave transport you to a Jakarta canteen, and at a student budget. — Shirley Qiu, The Seattle Times, "Finding comfort and classic Indonesian dishes at Seattle’s Beetle Cafe," 27 Aug. 2018 Its chef, Armand Amal, is building a small culinary empire in Arles under Hoffmann’s patronage—with a casual canteen at Luma and restaurants at her two boutique hotels in town. — Jay Cheshes, WSJ, "Maja Hoffmann’s Cultural Complex Is Poised to Transform This French City," 21 Aug. 2018 The last place serving food was the canteen at the local hospital, which shuttered in 2010. — Michael Meyer, New York Times, "A Pittsburgh Area Restaurant That Trades Fussy for Fun," 7 July 2018 The Union Station canteen was not the only place in Indianapolis for the Armed Forces. — Dawn Mitchell, Indianapolis Star, "Union Station canteen was 'home away from home' for fighting forces," 30 Mar. 2018 Meanwhile, rising unemployment and the rolling back of assistance programs have hurt northerners like Suwanna Khanadham, who owns a canteen in Chiang Mai selling khao soi, or curry noodle soup. — Time, "Thailand’s Leader Promised to Restore Democracy. Instead He's Tightening His Grip," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'canteen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.