# cupboard

/ˈkəbɝd/ (US) · /kˈʌbəd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cupboard
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. storage furniture

noun · CEFR A2

a piece of furniture with doors and shelves where you keep food, plates, or other household items.

For teachers: a cabinet or closet with shelves and doors, typically used for storing food, crockery, or general household supplies.

- She opened the kitchen cupboard to look for a clean glass.
- The built-in cupboards in the hallway provide ample storage for linens and seasonal decorations that are not currently in use.

### 2. a closet for coats

noun · CEFR B2 · British English · Dialect

a small room or large cupboard used specifically for hanging coats and jackets.

For teachers: a small closet or storage space designated for outerwear, often located near a building's entrance.

- Hang your wet jacket in the cupboard under the stairs.
- The traditional Victorian terrace house featured a narrow cupboard in the entryway specifically designed for guests to store their coats and umbrellas.

### 3. to store or hoard

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

to collect and hide things away, like putting them in a cupboard.

For teachers: to store, hoard, or stash items away as if placing them in a cupboard for safekeeping.

- He would cupboard his small treasures in a box under his bed.
- The old miser was known to cupboard every spare coin he earned, refusing to spend even on the most basic necessities.

## Examples

- Please put the clean plates back in the kitchen cupboard.
- She opened the cupboard to see if there was enough flour left to bake a cake.
- The old wooden cupboard in the hallway was packed so tightly with winter coats and umbrellas that the door would no longer latch properly.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.