pantry

noun

pan·​try ˈpan-trē 

plural pantries

1

: a room or closet used for storage (as of provisions) or from which food is brought to the table

2

: a room (as in a hotel or hospital) for preparation of foods on order

Synonyms of pantry

• cupboard
• closet

Examples of pantry in a Sentence

homemade jams and pickles are stored in a separate pantry off the kitchen

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of the items the pantry offers include produce, cereal, dairy — milk, cheese, yogurt — eggs, and meat options, including chicken and fish. —Darius Johnson, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026

That jar of coconut oil that has been sitting in your pantry for months is about to get its moment in the sun. —Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026

Every contestant was given a state-of-the-art work station on the Toronto set as well as access to a top-of-the-line pantry stocked with edible flowers and quail eggs. —Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026

The Internet Quickly Followed Along In the two weeks after the clip went viral, people across the country rushed to their pantries to throw the sandwich together. —Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English panetrie, from Anglo-French paneterie, from paneter servant in charge of the pantry, from pain bread, from Latin panis — more at food

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pantry

• butler's pantry
• food pantry

Rhymes for pantry

• chantry
• gantry

Kids Definition

pantry

noun

pan·​try ˈpan-trē 

plural pantries

: a small room in which food and dishes are kept

Etymology

Middle English panetrie "pantry," derived from early French panetier "servant in charge of food storage," from pan "bread," from Latin panis "bread, food" — related to companion