food bank

noun

variants or less commonly food pantry
: a usually non-profit organization that collects donated food and distributes it to people in need

Examples of food bank in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tom Williams / Getty Images Over 1.6 billion COVID-19 tests have been sent directly to homes, schools, long-term care facilities, health centers and food banks over the last two years through federal distribution programs, according to the Education Department. C Mandler, CBS News, 29 Nov. 2023 Advertisement For Thanksgiving of that first year, an editorial urged locals to donate generously to a local food bank, but with an asterisk: no turkey, please. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023 Now, as the country approaches its first Thanksgiving since such safety-net programs expired, some local food banks say the need is higher than it’s been in years. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2023 Bring nonperishables for the local food bank and receive $2 off. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2023 Vasquez, 58, whose home was also damaged in the storms, kept the food bank running until a few months ago, when the county stopped delivering supplies. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Another 119 million pounds is donated to food banks, given to friends outside their households and organizations such as Hunters for the Hungry. Emma Colton, Fox News, 9 Nov. 2023 Since the actors’ strike began, he’s been waiting tables, but the food bank, stocked with donations from supermarkets and caterers, has helped him with essentials. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2023 The food banks declined to reveal the size of Swift’s gifts. Tami Luhby, CNN, 13 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'food bank.' 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

1971, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of food bank was in 1971

Dictionary Entries Near food bank

Cite this Entry

“Food bank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20bank. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

food bank

noun
: a usually nonprofit organization that collects donated food and distributes it to people in need

called also food pantry

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!