A small room or closet used for storing food, dishes, and kitchen supplies. Originally a room for storing bread.
From Old French paneterie, from panetier 'bread keeper,' from pain 'bread' (from Latin panis). The '-try' suffix comes from Old French -erie denoting a place. Originally specifically for bread storage, it expanded to general food storage.
The pantry's name reveals bread's central importance in medieval life - an entire room was dedicated just to bread storage! The word literally means 'bread-place,' showing how our most basic food gave its name to what became the general food storage space.
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