china closet

noun

: a cabinet or cupboard for the storage or display of household china

Examples of china closet 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.
The Servidors are massive and must be kept in a storage unit, but many other items are in the china closet, to the chagrin of Mr. Lepore’s mother, Virginia. Dan Barry, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2023 My china closet is peopled with memories, but only for me. Jessica Hornik, National Review, 31 Mar. 2022 Thomas Markle had been the classic bull in the china closet in the runup to the 2018 wedding. Guy Martin, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2021 There is a walk-in china closet that would make any tableware collector swoon: its felted floor-to-ceiling shelves store her vast porcelain collection. Dana Thomas, ELLE Decor, 14 Dec. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of china closet was in 1760

Dictionary Entries Near china closet

Cite this Entry

“China closet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/china%20closet. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on china closet

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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