A combined cafeteria and auditorium in a school or institution, a multipurpose space that serves as both a dining area and a venue for assemblies, performances, or meetings.
A blend of 'cafeteria' and 'auditorium' created in American English in the mid-20th century as schools sought efficient use of space during economic constraints and building booms.
The cafetorium is quintessentially American—combining two functions into one space because it's efficient and economical. Walk into any school built in the 1960s-80s and you'll probably find one, smelling simultaneously of mysteries-meat and school spirit.
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