Small containers used to carry drinking water or other beverages, or informal cafeterias in schools and workplaces where people can buy food and drinks.
From French 'cantine,' which came from Italian 'cantina' meaning 'wine cellar.' The word originally referred to a military supply store, then evolved to mean a portable drinking vessel, and later the dining facility itself.
Canteens were crucial in warfare—soldiers' access to clean water literally determined battles' outcomes. Napoleon's army famously suffered more losses to disease from contaminated water than from enemy weapons!
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