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

Pots simmered on the stove with paella, fruit rotted in bowls next to the junk mail, and the pantry was full of old rusted cans of strange unearthly edibles—bamboo shoots and snails in sauce and lemons floating in brine. —Literary Hub, 8 May 2026

For more than five years, the Mālama Hawaiʻi program has encouraged visitors to support local communities—whether by volunteering at a food pantry, helping restore coastal wetlands, or participating in beach cleanups. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2026

Replacing flimsy closet shelving, adding adjustable pantry shelves, or installing hooks can turn cluttered spaces into organized ones and improve everyday routines. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 May 2026

Made from simple pantry staples (vinegar, sugar, flour, eggs, and butter), it was meant to mimic the flavor of lemon pie. —Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 6 May 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