canteen

noun

can·​teen kan-ˈtēn 

1

a

: a portable chest with compartments for carrying bottles or for cooking and eating utensils

b

: a flask for carrying liquids (as on a hike)

c

: mess kit

d

British : a chest for storing flatware

2

a

: a bar at a military post or camp

b

: a general store at a military post : exchange

c

: an establishment that serves as an informal social club (as for soldiers or a community's teenagers)

d

: a small cafeteria or snack bar

Examples of canteen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Logos and signs plastered with red and gold — lucky colors in Chinese tradition — brighten the otherwise gray exteriors while aromas of Peking duck come from an on-site canteen. —David Culver, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025

The rest of the Vatican is a composite of nearly 50 locations, from a military canteen used for the Casa Santa Marta dining room to the Ospedale Santo Spirito, which became the Vatican’s courtyard, to the famous Palazzo Barberini, where Davies installed a 15-foot crucifix. —Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025

Everton had long felt like a family club and Koeman’s attempt to try to stop notable friends of players from entering the canteen of the training ground annoyed many. —Simon Hughes, The Athletic, 14 Aug. 2024

The restaurant, with industrial lighting and long wooden tables, doubles as the theater’s canteen and employs people with mental and physical disabilities as cooks and servers. —A.j. Goldmann, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French cantine bottle case, sutler's shop, from Italian cantina wine cellar, probably from canto corner, from Latin canthus iron tire — more at cant entry 4

First Known Use

1737, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

canteen

noun

can·​teen kan-ˈtēn 

1

: a store (as in a camp) in which food, drinks, and small supplies are sold

2

: a place of recreation and entertainment for people in military service

3

: a small container for carrying liquids (as on a hike)