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
Another is Le Club 55, a simple beach canteen on Pampelonne Beach during the filming of And God Created Woman, but now a center of gravity for royalty (both showbiz and actual) visiting Saint‑Tropez.
—
Nick Scott, Robb Report, 17 May 2026
Isaac Rangaswami, a former tech-company copywriter, first grew a following around an Instagram account called @caffs_not_cafes, which highlighted historic, low-key, unheralded London canteens.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Unapologetic Foods is both name and mantra of the restaurant group behind this brash canteen anchoring one end of the Essex Market.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
In the night canteen, there is a man who roasts the very best corn.
—Literary Hub, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for canteen
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Nick Scott, Robb Report, 17 May 2026
Isaac Rangaswami, a former tech-company copywriter, first grew a following around an Instagram account called @caffs_not_cafes, which highlighted historic, low-key, unheralded London canteens.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Unapologetic Foods is both name and mantra of the restaurant group behind this brash canteen anchoring one end of the Essex Market.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
In the night canteen, there is a man who roasts the very best corn.
—Literary Hub, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for canteen
Cite this Entry
“Canteen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canteen. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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)
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