scullery

noun scul·lery \ ˈskə-lə-rē , ˈskəl-rē \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of scullery

plural sculleries

: a room for cleaning and storing dishes and cooking utensils and for doing messy kitchen work

See scullery defined for English-language learners

See scullery defined for kids

Recent Examples of scullery from the Web

The island trend, which started gathering momentum in the 1980s, is the latest in a long list of design fads to hit the kitchen during its transition from scullery to showroom.

— michelle slatalla, WSJ, "Why Kitchen Islands Are Ruining America’s Kitchens," 3 Apr. 2018
Produced by Teatro SEA, the Latino theater for children, this bilingual adaptation has a heroine who is not only a beleaguered scullery maid but also the kingdom’s best tango dancer.

— laurel graeber, New York Times, "7 Things to Do With Your Kids in NYC This Weekend," 29 Mar. 2018
Like the scullery maid who becomes a princess, or the stablehand who becomes a prince, the Castle at Forest Glen didn’t begin life as a castle.

— john kelly, Washington Post, "To the battlements! Answer Man storms the Castle at Forest Glen.," 3 Mar. 2018
Life in nineteenth-century Canada was nothing short of brutal for a poor girl from abroad, a series of debasements and scullery work.

— rachel syme, New Republic, "Why Margaret Atwood’s “Alias Grace” makes subversive television.," 3 Nov. 2017
For Rosa Lewis, a pretty Cockney who rose from scullery maid to become a caterer to the aristocracy and a favorite of Edward VII, food was the key that opened the doors of the most exclusive houses in London.

— moira hodgson, WSJ, "Setting a Table for Six," 21 July 2017
A subplot focuses on the love story between Tommy and his future wife, Meg (Ophelia Lovibond), a scullery maid with something of a tawdry past.

— michael o'sullivan, The Denver Post, "Golf biopic “Tommy’s Honour” merits polite applause, not wild accolades," 14 Apr. 2017
The oldest parts of the house are the kitchen, scullery, dining room, and library.

— pilar viladas, Town & Country, "How One British Couple Transformed a Centuries-Old Farmhouse," 8 Feb. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scullery.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of scullery

Middle English squilerie, sculerie department of household in charge of dishes, from Anglo-French esquilerie, from escuele, eskel bowl, from Latin scutella drinking bowl — more at scuttle

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

SCULLERY Defined for English Language Learners

scullery

noun

Definition of scullery for English Language Learners

: a room that is near the kitchen in a large and usually old house and that is used for washing dishes, doing messy kitchen tasks, etc.

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up scullery? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

scullery

Definition of scullery

Recent Examples of scullery from the Web

Origin and Etymology of scullery

SCULLERY Defined for English Language Learners

scullery

Definition of scullery for English Language Learners

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

cajole

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

12 Words from All Over the Map

'Ingenious' and 'Ingenuous': More Than a Typo

A Matter-of-Fact Look at 'Deadpan'

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

True or False?

Word Winder's CrossWinder

'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

12 Words from All Over the Map

Trending: Melania Trump Undergoes 'Embolization'

Ghost Word

scullery

Definition of scullery

Recent Examples of scullery from the Web

Origin and Etymology of scullery

SCULLERY Defined for English Language Learners

scullery

Definition of scullery for English Language Learners

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

12 Words from All Over the Map

Trending: Melania Trump Undergoes 'Embolization'

Ghost Word