canteen

noun

can·​teen kan-ˈtēn How to pronounce canteen (audio)
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
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

Examples of canteen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There will be a deep sense of pain with the void in the dressing room, in the canteen and on the team coach. James Pearce, New York Times, 9 July 2025 This is essentially a perk tree for fine-tuning aspects of the game, like making canteens easier to fill in rivers or improving a gun’s firing rate. Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2025 The restaurant at Under Canvas, while staying faithful to the idea of a semi-rustic canteen, was a showcase of just how extraordinary a simple menu of local ingredients can be. Dinaw Mengestu, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2025 Against a backdrop of corporatized Pride Month mega-events that pelt you with free rainbow canteens and bad music, this was much more authentic and communal. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for canteen

Word History

Etymology

French cantine bottle case, sutler's shop, from Italian cantina wine cellar, probably from canto corner, from Latin canthus iron tire — more at cant entry 4

First Known Use

1737, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of canteen was in 1737

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Canteen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canteen. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

canteen

noun
can·​teen kan-ˈtēn How to pronounce canteen (audio)
1
: a store (as in a camp) 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 liquids (as on a hike)

More from Merriam-Webster on canteen

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