canteenn.
/kanˈtiːn/, U.S. /kænˈtin/ Originally Military.
1.
a. A kind of sutler's shop in a camp, barracks, or garrison town, where provisions and liquors are sold to soldiers and non-commissioned officers. Now under regimental control. Also, in Indian and colonial use, applied to a victualling or refreshment house resembling this.
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the world > food and drink > food > providing or receiving food > [noun] > supplying food or catering > victualling department
poultry1423
catery1455
achatryc1550
sutlery1636
canteen1744
commissariat1812
butlerage1815
society > armed hostility > military organization > logistics > [noun] > provision or procurement of supplies > supplies > ration > canteen
suttling-house1691
canteen1744
1744 M. Bishop Life Matthew Bishop 138 I took him to the Canteen, and gave him what he would drink.
1803 A. Rees Cycl. Canteen is the cabaret, tavern, or place in a garrison-town where the garrison have the privilege of purchasing spirits..and beer.
1832 Life W. J. Neptune 105 In the kitchen of the Canteen at the Citadel.
1837 F. Owen Diary (1926) 7 The annoyance I had been put to, in one of the Hottentots being found on the floor at a canteen, at the time when he ought to have been at his place at the waggon.
1844 Queen's Regulations & Orders Army 243 No civilians..are to be permitted to frequent, or in any way to make use of the Canteen, without the..sanction of the Commanding Officer.
1852 C. Barter Dorp & Veld 9 But the inns sadly need reformation—they are in fact little better than canteens.
1886 Mod. The Canteen at the Indian and Colonial Exhibition.
1950 Cape Times 20 Sept. 16/2 Men in uniform have been encouraged by their officers to use their own canteens rather than public bars.
b. In extended use. Now usually a refreshment-room at a factory, school, or the like.
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the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > eating > eating place > [noun] > canteen
kitchen tent1640
canteen1870
mess1886
NAAFI1927
stolovaya1943
cantina1959
1870 D. J. Kirwan Palace & Hovel (1963) xv. 143 The Canteen of the Alhambra is..nothing more than a subterranean bar-room.
1908 Parish Councils (Fabian Tract No. 137) 13 At Limpsfield (Surrey) the school manager appointed by the parish council personally started a canteen, which fed 60 children who came from a distance.
a1930 D. H. Lawrence Phoenix II (1968) 18 Dinners are given in the canteen in one of the mean streets, where the children feed in a Church Mission room.
1937 Discovery Sept. 268/2 A works canteen, a matter on which employees are sensitive, especially if..the canteen is a virtual monopoly.
1955 Times 12 May 18/5 Every consideration will also be given to facilities for canteens and both indoor and outdoor recreation.
2. ‘A small case divided into compartments for carrying flasks or bottles of wine and other liquors’ (Littré); a French use, which however may have given rise to the next two English ones.
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1737 J. Ozell tr. F. Rabelais Wks. II. 235 Two Cantines (Bottle-Cases). The best Cantines are sold at Charing-Cross.
3.
a. A box or chest with an outfit of cooking and table utensils, and other articles serviceable in a camp, or on an expedition, used by officers, etc.
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the world > food and drink > food > setting table > table utensils > [noun] > place for keeping tableware > portable
canteen1817
1817 M. Keating Trav. II. 6 Next follow the mules, with the tents and canteens.
1839 A. F. Tytler Leila 13 Mr. Howard's canteen contained a small tea-service, etc.
1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 627 The sumpter horses were unloaded: the canteens were opened.
b. A chest or case containing a set of table knives, forks, spoons, etc.
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the world > food and drink > food > setting table > table utensils > [noun] > cutlery > box for storing cutlery
canteen1895
1895 Army & Navy Co-op. Soc. Price List 756 Canteens for wedding presents, yachting, college use, &c.
1963 Times 30 Jan. 4/3 Generous expenses and a canteen of cutlery!
4. A small tin or wooden vessel, of a capacity of from 3 to 4 pints, for water or liquor, carried by soldiers on the march, travellers, workmen, etc.This sense appears to be in vulgar French, since Littré says ‘Il ne faut pas employer cantine pour cruche, ni dire: remplissez cette cantine’.
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the world > food and drink > drink > containers for drink > [noun] > carrying flask
costret1313
costrelc1380
ferrera1483
costard1503
canteen1744
flask1814
pilgrim's bottle1842
vatje1850
1744 M. Bishop Life Matthew Bishop 8 The soldiers..ran into the Water..and after they had filled their Bellies, filled their Canteens.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine Transl. French Terms Espoulette, a tin canteen, or case, to carry fine powder.
1808 M. L. Weems Life G. Washington (ed. 6) x. 116 Her soldiers, often without a crust in their knapsacks or a dram in their canteens.
1811 Monthly Mag. Dec. 464 Canteen, or cantine..a tin flat bottle, in which soldiers carry liquor on their shoulders.
1849 G. C. Greenwell Gloss. Terms Coal Trade Northumberland & Durham 12 Canteen, a small wooden flat barrel, containing about half a gallon, in which a pitman carries water or coffee with him to his work.
1868 Queen's Regulations & Orders Army §1128 The Men will..shift their pouches, havresacks and water canteens, round to the front of their bodies.
Compounds
attributive and in other combinations, as (sense 1a) canteen-keeper, canteen-sergeant, canteen-steward; (sense 1b) canteen-manager, canteen-work; (sense 3) canteen-camel, canteen-horse; (sense 4) canteen-maker.
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1796 Calvary Instruct. (1803) 216 On a march, servants, led horses, and canteen horses remain with their squadrons.
1832 Cape of Good Hope Lit. Gaz. 1 Feb. 243 We would call for certificates of character from every canteen-keeper.
1882 P. Schaff et al. Relig. Encycl. I. 374 The canteen camel of Eastern tourists.
1886 Pall Mall Gaz. 12 Sept. 2/2 The regimental and canteen supplies are left in the hands of canteen stewards and quartermasters.
1887 H. R. Haggard Jess ii. 19 The canteen keeper sent for his boys to turn him out.
1918 A. Bennett Pretty Lady xxvi. 171 Concepcion..had decided that she ought to take up canteen work.
1937 Discovery Sept. 268/2 A director who occasionally goes round dinners with his canteen manager.
Draft additions July 2002
canteen culture n. British colloquial (depreciative) a set of conservative and discriminatory attitudes alleged to exist within the lower ranks of the British police force, esp. as manifested in a resistance to new codes of practice (such as those introduced by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act of 1984), or by intolerance and abusiveness (including casual racism or sexism).
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1987 Listener 1 Oct. 4/3 Their training has covered the thorny question of relationships inside the police station under the powerful influence of ‘canteen culture’.
1995 Guardian 10 Apr. ii. 40/4 Officially Britain's police are committed to eradicating racism in their ranks... But are their efforts being undermined by the ‘canteen culture’ of rank and file officers?
1998 R. Newman Manners 52 It's a denigrating act to ask a WPC out when you're on duty, canteen culture and all that.
2001 Independent 10 July ii. 2/3 They [sc. black police officers] have to overcome the natural suspicions of their own people, and the institutionalised racism of many forces' canteen culture.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1888; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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