cabinets

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   Pieces of furniture with doors, shelves, or drawers, used for storing things.

   Grammar: Countable noun; use 'a cabinet' for one and 'cabinets' for two or more.

   Patterns

   • a kitchen cabinet
   • store something in a cabinet

   The new kitchen cabinets are made of light oak.

   She keeps her medicines in a locked cabinet in the bathroom.

   We bought two filing cabinets for the office.

2. 2nouncountable

   The senior ministers who advise a head of government and help make policy.

   Grammar: Often used with a singular verb when treated as one body: 'The cabinet has decided.'

   Patterns

   • the cabinet meets
   • a cabinet minister
   • join the cabinet

   The prime minister called an emergency meeting of the cabinet.

   Several cabinets in Europe have collapsed over the budget.

   She was promoted to a cabinet post last year.

Word forms

Common combinations

kitchen cabinets

They replaced the old kitchen cabinets with white ones.

filing cabinet

Put those contracts back in the filing cabinet.

cabinet meeting

The cabinet meeting lasted three hours.

cabinet minister

A senior cabinet minister resigned yesterday.

medicine cabinet

There is aspirin in the medicine cabinet.

Synonyms and how they differ

cupboard

A cupboard is usually a storage unit with shelves for food or clothes, while a cabinet often has doors and is used for display or documents.

locker

A locker is a small metal cabinet that you can lock, typically in a school, gym, or workplace.

Word family

cabinetmaker noun

A person who makes fine wooden furniture.

cabinetmaking noun

The craft or trade of making furniture.

Commonly confused: cabinets or cabinet?

Practice

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