Meaning & use
larder
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableold-fashionedBritish
A room or large cupboard used for storing food, especially before refrigerators were common.
Grammar: Often found in older houses or country homes.
Patterns
- in the larder
- a cool larder
- stock the larder
The farmhouse had a large larder where they kept cheese and butter.
She went to the larder to fetch a jar of preserves.
In the days before fridges, meat was stored in the larder.
nounsingularfigurative
A supply of food kept in reserve.
Grammar: Used figuratively, especially in the phrase 'stock the larder'.
Patterns
- stock the larder
- a full larder
Before winter, they stocked the larder with canned goods.
The family's larder was always full thanks to their garden.
Word forms
| plural | larders |
|---|
Common combinations
- walk-in larder
- The house has a walk-in larder next to the kitchen.
- cool larder
- In summer, the cool larder was the best place to keep milk.
- stock the larder
- We need to stock the larder before the guests arrive.
- empty larder
- After the long winter, the larder was nearly empty.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: larder or ladder?
larder vs ladder
A ladder is a piece of equipment for climbing; a larder is a food storage room. They sound similar but have different meanings.
Practice
In modern American English, which word is more commonly used than 'larder'?
Choose one answer.
'Pantry' is the everyday term in American English for a food storage room or cupboard. 'Larder' is old-fashioned and mainly British. 'Cellar' is a basement, 'cupboard' is a general cabinet, and 'refrigerator' is an appliance.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “larder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.