canteen

noun can·teen \ kan-ˈtēn \

Definition of canteen

1 a :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

2 a :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

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Recent Examples of canteen from the Web

An array of items found in the average soldier's kit bag are on view: canteens, mess kits, sewing kits, pipes and lighters, binoculars, a gas mask, daggers, and — this being the Knights of Columbus Museum — pocket shrines and rosaries.

— susan dunne, courant.com, "Replica Of WWI Trench Commemorates Great War Centennial," 11 Aug. 2017
Night + Market West Hollywood, $ Kris Yenbamroong’s Thai canteen takes on the aggressive flavors of rural northern Thailand.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
FacebookTwitterPinterest Caviar Kaspia is the canteen of fashion week in ParisPhotograph by Derek Blasberg.

— derek blasberg, Vanities, "Derek Blasberg’s 2017 Couture Week Photo Diary," 11 July 2017
More public canteens and schools have also been removing pork from menus.

— agnieszka de sousa, Bloomberg.com, "Germans Are Losing Their Taste for Pork," 11 July 2017
On the other hand, consider writing something negative, and then encountering Huffington herself in the canteen.

— william d. cohan, The Hive, "Is Arianna Huffington Worse for Uber Than Travis Kalanick?," 10 July 2017
Simmons knew him as a lifer who did laundry in exchange for goods from the canteen.

— CBS News, "Inmates strangled fellow prisoners to try to land on death row," 27 June 2017
The series' evergreen popularity in Japan, where handhelds are ubiquitous and where playing video games with strangers on the train, in shopping centres, and at the school canteen is more socially acceptable, has been closely tied to the technology.

— simon parkin, Ars Technica, "Monster Hunter: World promises “deep, meaty experience on console”," 26 June 2017
Chef Wes Whitsell turns out a Southern-inflected menu at Manuela, the swanky canteen in Hauser & Wirth.

— Los Angeles Magazine, "The 54 Best Things To Do in Downtown L.A. Right Now," 20 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of canteen

French cantine bottle case, sutler's shop, from Italian cantina wine cellar, probably from canto corner, from Latin canthus iron tire — more at cant

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First Known Use: 1737

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British Definition of CANTEEN

canteen

noun

British Definition of canteen

:a chest for storing flatware

CANTEEN Defined for English Language Learners

canteen

noun

Definition of canteen for English Language Learners

: a store in a camp, school, etc., in which food, drinks, and small supplies are sold
: a place where drinks and entertainment are provided for soldiers at a military base or camp
: a place where food is served in a factory, school, etc.

CANTEEN Defined for Kids

canteen

noun can·teen \ kan-ˈtēn \

Definition of canteen for Students

1 :a store (as in a camp or factory) in which food, drinks, and small supplies are sold

2 :a place of recreation and entertainment for people in military service

3 :a small container for carrying water or another liquid

a hiker's canteen

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See words that rhyme with canteen Spanish Central: Translation of canteen Nglish: Translation of canteen for Spanish speakers

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